Helping sea turtles off the hook
New technologies and the ecosystem approach to fisheries can
help protect endangered marine species
25 March 2004, Rome -- Sea turtles have swum the seas for
almost 60 million years, but decreases in their populations over the
last century have many observers worried that long history could
soon be coming to a close.
While the situation for sea
turtle populations may vary from region to region, and more work is
needed to assess their real status, of seven species of marine
turtles three are listed as critically endangered and another three
as endangered on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) red list of
threatened species. All seven are identified by the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) as threatened with extinction.
A wide range of human
activities imperil these gentle giants. One source of sea turtle
mortality is fishing: the turtles are accidentally captured by
fishers looking to net or hook other species -- a phenomenon
referred to as "by-catch" -- and usually die before they can be
released.
Exact numbers for sea turtles lost to fisheries
by-catch each year are hard to come by. Even harder is assessing the
relative impact of fisheries on sea turtle populations, says FAO,
given our limited knowledge regarding population numbers and the
role of other impacts.
"As far as numbers go for
fisheries-dependent mortality rates, there are more controversies
than certainties. But it's generally agreed that by-catch of turtles
is a problem in some regions and for some species-- and there are
definitely steps we can take to reduce it," says Jorge Csirke, Chief
of FAO's Marine Resources Service.
"At the same time, not
all major threats to sea turtles are fisheries-related," he notes.
In many places, coastal development is destroying fragile
turtle nesting areas. In others, hunger and poverty lead to
harvesting of eggs -- and of the turtles themselves.
Sometimes turtles consume litter -- in particular discarded
plastic bags, which look like the jellyfish they normally eat -- and
are injured or die as a result.
FAO expert panel
recommends use of turtle-friendly fishing gear, additional steps
To assess the extent of the problem and explore options for
reducing fishing's impact on marine turtles, FAO recently convened
an expert consultation on "Interactions between Sea Turtles and
Fisheries in the Ecosystem Context" at its Rome headquarters.
Attended by 11 experts from seven countries, the meeting ran
from 9 to 12 March and looked at issues such as sea turtle biology
and conservation, the relative impacts of different sources of
turtle mortality, how new fishing gear can reduce by-catch,
fisheries management issues and the socio-economic context shaping
human-sea turtle interactions.
The talks produced a report,
still being finalized, that sets the stage for a larger, follow-up
Technical Consultation to be held in Thailand later this year. The
meeting in Thailand, in turn, could lead to concrete international
guidelines and internationally agreed strategies for how the fishing
sector can reduce its impact on marine turtle populations.
Many countries are already working to reduce by-catch of sea
turtles through the use of new kinds of fishing equipment. In the
Gulf of Mexico, for example, shrimp trawlers have been utilizing
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), which allow accidentally netted
turtles to escape, since the 1980s.
This type of gear
modification has now also been introduced to many other trawl
fisheries around the globe, and other devices are being developed
for other fishing sectors prone to turtle by-catch, such as pelagic
longlining.
According to Gabriella Bianchi, an FAO fishery
resources officer, the value of such innovative gear in preventing
sea turtle by-catch figured prominently in last week's technical
consultation.
"The use of TEDs in trawl gear and the use of
circle hooks in pelagic longlining were identified as the most
promising, and it was recommended that further studies be conducted
to further develop longline and trawl modifications for adoption by
various countries and regions," she says.
The need for more
research into other modifications to fishing gear and methods to
prevent by-catch -- such as altering the depth at which hooklines
are set or using different types and sizes of hooks -- was also
discussed by the panel.
In addition, the group of experts
called on FAO to help fill data gaps regarding sea turtle-fisheries
interactions and asked the agency to produce a set of turtle
handling and release guidelines in order to educate fishers in the
proper release of trapped turtles found alive during gear retrieval.
Casting a wider net
According to Ichiro
Nomura, FAO Assistant Director-General and head of the agency's
Fisheries Department, inclusion of conservation considerations in
fisheries management is not a new development.
"Although it
does not specifically address sea turtles, FAO's Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries, adopted in 1995, calls for a sustainable use
of aquatic ecosystems and requires that fishing be conducted 'with
due regard' for the environment," he says. "It also addresses
specifically biodiversity issues and conservation of endangered
species and in so doing, calls for the catch of non-target species,
both fish and non-fish species, to be minimized."
Accordingly, recommends FAO, integration of conservation
considerations in fisheries management and the adoption of
gear-based and other approaches to reducing fishing's impacts on
turtles should be implemented within a broader strategy: the
ecosystem approach to fisheries.
The idea is to incorporate
ecosystem considerations into fisheries management plans so that the
wellbeing of not only target species but of the overall ecosystem --
including human fishing communities as well as animal and plant
populations -- is promoted.
The approach aims not only to
protect biodiversity and the environment, however: it also offers a
way to improve fisheries production.
"If we preserve and
improve overall ecosystem health and productivity now -- that is,
look to the balanced wellbeing of all marine animals and plants in a
given area -- we will be able to maintain, and even increase,
fisheries production in that area over the long run," explains Mr
Csirke.
"Over 840 million people on the planet don't have
enough to eat, and fisheries play a vital role in bolstering food
security and providing employment," he adds. "Healthy fisheries and
healthy ecosystems are not mutually exclusive. The ecosystem
approach to fisheries points the way."
Note: The Final
Report of FAO's Expert Consultation on Interactions between Sea
Turtles and Fisheries in the Ecosystem Context will be available on
the FAO Web site soon. The date for the follow up Technical
Consultation is still pending. See the FAO
fisheries meeting calendar.
Contact: Contact:
George Kourous
FAO Information
Officer
george.kourous@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 53168
