Pacific leatherback turtles face extinction

Spotila, James R.; Reina, Richard D.; Steyermark, Anthony C.; Plotkin, Pamela T.; Paladino, Frank V.

doi:10.1038/35014729

Cited by 315 publications

(212 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…In both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, a reduction in the incidental capture of leatherback turtles in southern fisheries is crucial if we are to avoid the extinction of this ancient reptile (Spotila et al 2000;Kaplan 2005). Data on bycatch of sea turtles in gillnets are scarce globally (Gilman et al 2010;Lucchetti and Sala 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In the Pacific Ocean, steep population declines in the 1980s and 1990s (22% per annum in the largest Mexican population- Sarti et al 1996) may have been caused by mortality in the distant Chilean driftnet fishery in the southern Hemisphere (Frazier and Montero 1990;Sarti et al 1996;Eckert and Sarti 1997). Spotila et al (2000) reported a 95% decline in Pacific leatherback populations from 1975 to 2000 with an estimated 1,500 females killed in driftnet and longline fisheries during the 1990s. Frazier and Montero (1990) estimated that approximately 250 leatherbacks were caught annually in driftnets off Central Chile.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Driftnet fishery threats sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean

et al. 2012

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Fisheries are recognised as a major threat to sea turtles worldwide. Oceanic driftnets are considered the main cause of the steep decline in Pacific Ocean populations of the leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea. The world's largest leatherback population nests in West Africa and migrates across the Atlantic Ocean to feed off the South American coast. There, the turtles encounter a range of fisheries, including the Brazilian driftnet fishery targeting hammerhead sharks. From 2002 to 2008, 351 sea turtles were F. N. Fiedler (&) Fundação Pró-TAMAR,incidentally caught in 41 fishing trips and 371 sets. Leatherbacks accounted for 77.3% of the take (n = 252 turtles, capture rate = 0.1405 turtles/km of net), followed by loggerheads Caretta caretta (47 individuals, capture rate = 0.0262 turtles/km of net), green turtles Chelonia mydas (27 individuals, capture rate = 0.0151 turtles/km of net) and unidentified hard-shelled turtles (25 individual, capture rate = 0.0139 turtles/km of net) that fell off the net during hauling. Immediate mortality (i.e., turtles that were dead upon reaching the vessel, excluding post-release mortality) was similar among the species and accounted for 22.2 to 29.4% of turtles hauled onboard. The annual catch by this fishery ranged from 1,212 to 6,160 leatherback turtles, as estimated based on bootstrap procedures under different fishing effort scenarios in the 1990s. The present inertia in law and enforcement regarding gillnet regulations in Brazil could result in the reestablishment of the driftnet fishery, driving rates of leatherback mortality to levels similar to those observed in previous decades. This development could potentially lead to the collapse of the South Atlantic leatherback population, mirroring the decline of the species in the Pacific. In light of these potential impacts and similar threats to other pelagic mega fauna, we recommend banning this type of fishery in the region.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Driftnet fishery threats sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean

et al. 2012

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“…Common dolphinfish, wahoo, and oilfish were included because they are caught in large numbers, but very little is known about their stock status and sensitivity to overfishing. All species were caught in at least two areas with a minimum sample size of 25 In plants, the trafficking of NCAPs that are involved in the regulation of plant development is thought to occur through plasmodesmata (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). However, little information is available concerning the manner in which such NCAPs enter this cell-to-cell translocation pathway (5,6).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Only in the past half century, as fishing fleets expanded rapidly in the open ocean, have large marine predators been subject to this intense exploitation. Many species, including tuna, billfishes (3), and sea turtles (4), are of immediate conservation concern as a result. Among the species impacted by these fisheries, sharks should be of particular concern.…”

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confidence: 99%

Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic

Baum

Myers

Kehler

et al. 2003

Science

974

808

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Overexploitation threatens the future of many large vertebrates. In the ocean, tunas and sea turtles are current conservation concerns because of this intense pressure. The status of most shark species, in contrast, remains uncertain. Using the largest data set in the Northwest Atlantic, we show rapid large declines in large coastal and oceanic shark populations. Scalloped hammerhead, white, and thresher sharks are each estimated to have declined by over 75% in the past 15 years. Closed-area models highlight priority areas for shark conservation, and the need to consider effort reallocation and site selection if marine reserves are to benefit multiple threatened species.

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“…If this hypothesis holds true, it could be a key driver of the inter-annual variation in nest placement and detectability, which would thus depend on the relative proportion of coastal clingers (stronger nest-site fidelity, greater tendency to nest within the monitored area) or ocean rovers (weaker nest-site fidelity, greater tendency to nest outside of the monitored area) that nest in that particular season. It would also mean that the prevailing currents during hatching could determine the relative proportion of animals that would ultimately be pelagic drifters that could be more susceptible to capture in offshore fisheries, a threat which has the potential to collapse entire populations (Spotila et al, 2000). We also acknowledge, however, that there may be an additional genetic role that may predetermine whether hatchlings are coastal clingers or ocean rovers, e.g., some form of inherited navigation and/or response to geomagnetic fields (Putman et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%