Pacific leatherback turtle could go extinct i...( of which unintentionally capture and ki...)

of which unintentionally capture and kill sea turtles instead of their intended targets of fish.

"The Pacific leatherbacks currently face an annual mortality rate of up to 30 percent," said James R. Spotila, Drexel University Professor of Environmental Science. "That rate is clearly unsustainable, and without dramatic intervention, we can expect to see them disappear in as soon as a decade."

Scientists say that a two-pronged approach is necessary in order to reverse the rapid population decline of sea turtles:

• Nesting beaches require stronger protections and more careful management. Uncontrolled beachfront development and the poaching of eggs are threats to their survival. Lights on land present another threat, since turtles confuse them for the moon and walk toward them, leaving them stranded and unable to return to the ocean. Stronger protections to beaches in St. Croix and South Africa, for example, have allowed leatherback populations to begin rebounding.
• The ocean needs greater levels of protection and the fishing industry needs to employ new and safer techniques. Currently, less than one-half of one percent of the ocean enjoys formal protection. Fishermen targeting fish species often unintentionally kill sea turtles as "by-catch." Small and inexpensive changes to fishing techniques, such as slightly larger hooks and traps from which sea turtles can escape, can dramatically cut the mortality rate.

Scientists and conservationists at the conference highlighted several international success stories that demonstrate that well-planned conservation efforts can halt and reverse the decline of the sea turtles.

For example, four Latin American nations, the United Nations Foundation, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and Conservation International's Global Conservation Fund are investing several million dollars over the next three years to consolidate a marine protected area that stretches from
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Contact: Brad Phillips
b.phillips@conservation.org
202-912-1532
Conservation International
26-Feb-2004

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