Report of the Technical Consultation on Sea Turtles Conservation and Fisheries

Report of the Technical Consultation on Sea Turtles Conservation and Fisheries
Author:
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2005
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9789251052785

The Consultation was attended by 28 Members of FAO and by observers from three intergovernmental and four international non-governmental organizations, and addressed the major issues with regards to sea turtles conservation and fisheries with special emphasis on: (i) current status of sea turtles conservation and factors affecting the mortality of sea turtles; (ii) fishing gears and techniques to reduce sea turtle mortality; (iii) development of guidelines to reduce sea turtle mortality; (iv) assistance to members from developing countries for the conservation of sea turtles, and (v) future directions for global work on sea turtles conservation and fisheries. The Technical Consultation agreed on recommendations for FAO, for Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) and for Member States related to future work on sea turtle conservation and reduction of sea turtle mortality in fishing operations, to be submitted to the Twenty-sixth Session of the Committee on Fisheries.--Publisher's description.

No Way Home

No Way Home
Author: David S. Wilcove
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2012-09-26
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 159726377X

Animal migration is a magnificent sight: a mile-long blanket of cranes rising from a Nebraska river and filling the sky; hundreds of thousands of wildebeests marching across the Serengeti; a blaze of orange as millions of monarch butterflies spread their wings to take flight. Nature’s great migrations have captivated countless spectators, none more so than premier ecologist David S. Wilcove. In No Way Home, his awe is palpable—as are the growing threats to migratory animals. We may be witnessing a dying phenomenon among many species. Migration has always been arduous, but today’s travelers face unprecedented dangers. Skyscrapers and cell towers lure birds and bats to untimely deaths, fences and farms block herds of antelope, salmon are caught en route between ocean and river, breeding and wintering grounds are paved over or plowed, and global warming disrupts the synchronized schedules of predators and prey. The result is a dramatic decline in the number of migrants. Wilcove guides us on their treacherous journeys, describing the barriers to migration and exploring what compels animals to keep on trekking. He also brings to life the adventures of scientists who study migrants. Often as bold as their subjects, researchers speed wildly along deserted roads to track birds soaring overhead, explore glaciers in search of frozen locusts, and outfit dragonflies with transmitters weighing less than one one-hundredth of an ounce. Scientific discoveries and advanced technologies are helping us to understand migrations better, but alone, they won’t stop sea turtles and songbirds from going the way of the bison or passenger pigeon. What’s required is the commitment and cooperation of the far-flung countries migrants cross—long before extinction is a threat. As Wilcove writes, “protecting the abundance of migration is key to protecting the glory of migration.” No Way Home offers powerful inspiration to preserve those glorious journeys.

Author: David S. Wilcove
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2007-11
Genre:
ISBN: 1597263796

Animal migration is a magnificent sight: a mile-long blanket of cranes rising from a Nebraska river and filling the sky; hundreds of thousands of wildebeests marching across the Serengeti; a blaze of orange as millions of monarch butterflies spread their wings to take flight. Nature’s great migrations have captivated countless spectators, none more so than premier ecologist David S. Wilcove. In No Way Home, his awe is palpable—as are the growing threats to migratory animals. We may be witnessing a dying phenomenon among many species. Migration has always been arduous, but today’s travelers face unprecedented dangers. Skyscrapers and cell towers lure birds and bats to untimely deaths, fences and farms block herds of antelope, salmon are caught en route between ocean and river, breeding and wintering grounds are paved over or plowed, and global warming disrupts the synchronized schedules of predators and prey. The result is a dramatic decline in the number of migrants. Wilcove guides us on their treacherous journeys, describing the barriers to migration and exploring what compels animals to keep on trekking. He also brings to life the adventures of scientists who study migrants. Often as bold as their subjects, researchers speed wildly along deserted roads to track birds soaring overhead, explore glaciers in search of frozen locusts, and outfit dragonflies with transmitters weighing less than one one-hundredth of an ounce. Scientific discoveries and advanced technologies are helping us to understand migrations better, but alone, they won’t stop sea turtles and songbirds from going the way of the bison or passenger pigeon. What’s required is the commitment and cooperation of the far-flung countries migrants cross—long before extinction is a threat. As Wilcove writes, “protecting the abundance of migration is key to protecting the glory of migration.” No Way Home offers powerful inspiration to preserve those glorious journeys.

Incidental catch of vulnerable species in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries – A review

Incidental catch of vulnerable species in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries – A review
Author: Carpentieri, P., Nastasi, A., Sessa, M., Srour, A. (eds.)
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2021-06-28
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251346313

Bycatch – a term widely used to refer to part of the catch unintentionally caught during a fishing operation, in addition to target species, and consisting of the discards and incidental catch of vulnerable species – is considered one of the most important threats to the profitability and sustainability of fisheries, as well as to the conservation of the marine environment and ecosystems. Understanding the bycatch issue and adopting effective measures in order to reduce bycatch rates are essential steps towards minimizing the impacts on vulnerable species and ensuring both a sustainable fisheries sector and healthy seas. In the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the incidental catch of vulnerable species – namely seabirds, sea turtles, elasmobranchs, marine mammals and macrobenthic invertebrates – represents one of several challenges for the industrial, semi-industrial and small-scale fisheries that coexist in the region, as well as for the diverse and sensitive ecosystems impacted. Typically, data on this issue have been collected in an opportunistic manner and in ways that make comparisons difficult. The annual absolute values of incidental catch of vulnerable species are not available: studies cover only a small portion of the total fishing activity and often present important knowledge gaps for many types of fishing gear, countries and/or subregions, as well as on temporal scales, for example, to establish reliable baselines. The result is that little is known of the scope of the problem, despite incidental catch being a significant pressure on the populations of vulnerable species, as well as a concern for fishers.This regional review is an attempt to compile, in one single document, all available data and historical records on the incidental catch of vulnerable species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, obtained from existing literature, databases and other grey sources, and collated in a standardized and comparable way. The main objective is to provide comprehensive baseline information, earmark the main data gaps, as well as identify the most impacting types of fishing gear by taxonomic group. This work is a reminder of the importance of standardized data collection and the need to have baseline information in order to support decision-making in the identification of appropriate bycatch mitigation techniques, thus enabling analysis of their effectiveness and comparison over time and space, as well as facilitating the implementation of relevant conservation and/or management measures at the national, subregional and regional levels.

Overview of mitigation measures to reduce the incidental catch of vulnerable species in fisheries

Overview of mitigation measures to reduce the incidental catch of vulnerable species in fisheries
Author: Sacchi, J.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2021-06-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251345392

Potentially harmful contact between fisheries and marine vulnerable species represents a global conservation issue and efforts to mitigate the negative repercussions of these interactions belong in strategies for ensuring the sustainability of fisheries. This literature review offers a survey of mitigation measures and techniques that have been developed and tested around the world, aiming to address both the incidental catch of highly mobile species – specifically, cetaceans, seabirds, sharks and rays, and sea turtles – and depredation caused by dolphins. Based on research detailed in over 300 documents, including peer-reviewed publications, reports from international organizations and papers available on the internet, most of the mitigation techniques illustrated are still under development, with only a few already adopted through legislation. The selected mitigation measures are grouped by main types of fishing gear – gillnets and trammel nets, longlines and lines, trawls, purse seines, traps and pots – and further subdivided according to which of the four main groups of vulnerable species – cetaceans, seabirds, sharks and rays, or sea turtles – they are designed to protect. Preventive and curative approaches covering both technical measures (gear modifications, strategies, as well as acoustic, visual, magnetic and chemosensory deterrents) and management measures are described.

Conservation of Pacific Sea Turtles

Conservation of Pacific Sea Turtles
Author: Peter H. Dutton
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 498
Release: 2011-07-31
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0824860195

Across the Pacific, populations of some species of sea turtles face extinction unless recent dramatic declines are reversed. The continuing decline of leatherbacks and loggerheads in particular illustrates the limitations of the current gradual and unilateral approach to conservation. Recovery requires instead a holistic solution that addresses all sources of mortality throughout the entire life history and habitat use of these transnational populations. Historically conservation efforts have focused on nesting sites to protect eggs and breeding females; mortality from coastal and highseas fisheries was not addressed. In the past five years, these recovery efforts have widened to include rigorously curtailing fishing and technological fixes that lower rates of incidental sea turtle deaths during fishing. Although each of these approaches shows promise, it has become increasingly clear that they alone will not recover severely depleted populations. Recognizing the urgency of the problem, this book presents ideas and case studies by conservation biologists, economists, marine life policy experts, fishing industry and fisheries professionals, management specialists, and development assistance researchers. It provides a new synthesis and blueprint for action that shifts the paradigm from piecemeal and unilateral conservation to a more holistic and multilateral approach to the recovery of Pacific sea turtle populations.

Sea Turtles of the Eastern Pacific

Sea Turtles of the Eastern Pacific
Author: Jeffrey A. Seminoff
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Total Pages: 425
Release: 2021-11-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0816547076

Sea turtles are flagship species for the world's oceans. They traverse international boundaries during their migrations, serve as vehicles for marine nutrients to terrestrial habitats, and embody the often tenuous relationship between human action and ecosystem health. The East Pacific Ocean is home to some of the most dynamic marine ecosystems, and the most unique sea turtles. Marine biodiversity within this massive ocean region abounds in mangrove estuaries, seagrass pastures, coral reefs, the open ocean, and many other habitats, with sea turtles often the most conspicuous species present. The distinctive traits of the Eastern Pacific have resulted in the smallest leatherbacks, a singular morph of the green turtle, dark and steeply domed olive ridleys, and the most cryptic hawksbills on the planet. Only now are we beginning to understand how these varieties have evolved. However, the oceanographic conditions that make this an epicenter of sea turtle activity also promote massive artisanal and industrial fishing efforts that, coupled with illegal harvesting of eggs and turtles, have led to declines of several turtle populations in the region. The essays and stories in Sea Turtles of the Eastern Pacific describe for the first time the history of this exploitation, as well as recent sea turtle conservation initiatives and scientific research in the region. The first third of the book considers the biology of the turtles, focusing on general overviews of current ecological management challenges facing the turtles' survival. The second third treats issues of marine policy related to turtle conservation. In conclusion, the book offers six compelling stories of conservation success. By the end, readers will have gained a in-depth view not only of these magnificent creatures, but also the people involved in research and conservation efforts in one of the most remarkable regions of our planet.

Advances and best practices in bycatch reduction in tropical shrimp-trawl fisheries

Advances and best practices in bycatch reduction in tropical shrimp-trawl fisheries
Author: Eayrs, S., Fuentevilla, C.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 142
Release: 2021-10-25
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251349061

This technical report describes efforts to mitigate bycatch through gear modifications and adaptations in the tropical shrimp-trawl fisheries of over 30 countries. It provides a summary of efforts by each country and then synthesizes them to identify and describe best practice. A best practice in bycatch reduction is the application or adoption of appropriate, recognized approaches to modifying fishing gear, with the objective of reducing bycatch to the greatest extent practicable. This information serves as a benchmark to identify countries that are taking appropriate steps to reduce bycatch and those that are not. It also provides context from which the outcomes of research on bycatch reduction can be evaluated and compared, including the identification of effective bycatch reduction devices, and serves to identify future research priorities. In the context of this report, best practice includes the installation and use of TEDs and BRDs that are optimally rigged and operated so as to reduce bycatch. It also includes the application of appropriate regulations to ensure effective performance, as well as the introduction of effective outreach and extension programmes to enhance and sustain best practice to reduce bycatch.