Showing posts with label turtles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turtles. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Scientists Publish Good News for Green Turtles Long-Term Nesting Beach Protection Works
HONOLULU, HI — This week in Global Ecology and Biogeography, encouraging news has emerged for one of the world's largest marine herbivores, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). A new study shows that long-term protection of the sea turtles' nesting beaches is successful in achieving increases in the green turtle populations.
The authors of the article, who research green turtles in Australia, Costa Rica, Japan, and the United States, analyzed nesting data from six of the world's major green turtle rookeries for which there are reliable long-term data of 25 years or more. The analysis shows that green turtle nesting on four beaches in the Pacific (Ogasawara, Japan; French Frigate Shoal, Hawaii, U.S.A.; and Heron and Raine Islands, Australia) and two beaches in the Atlantic (Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, U.S.A.; and Tortuguero, Costa Rica) have increased by an estimated four to fourteen percent each year over the past two to three decades. The increases in nesting varied considerably among the rookeries, most likely because historical and current exploitation of green turtles is different at each site.
"These results should be celebrated," said Milani Chaloupka, lead author of the report and vice chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG). "They demonstrate that green turtle populations and presumably the green turtles' ecosystem roles can be recovered in spite of drastic population declines in the past." Sebastian Troëng, co-author, MTSG member, and senior director of regional marine strategies at Conservation International, said, "This analysis shines a light of hope on marine conservation efforts for endangered species and for biological diversity as a whole. Ambitious strategies including long-term protection of habitats and reduction of survival threats are working, and endangered species can be recovered."
Read full news here:
Scientists Publish Good News for Green Turtles Long-Term Nesting Beach Protection Works
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Cuba helps the Hawksbill
Cuba has thrown a lifeline to the Caribbean’s endangered and critically endangered marine turtles with a ministerial resolution ending all harvesting of marine turtles.
Such a resolution, ending Cuba’s long standing harvest of 500 critically endangered hawksbill turtles a year, has been sought by conservationists for more than a decade. It will benefit turtles hatching on beaches throughout the Caribbean and coming regularly to feed in Cuban waters.
Like marine turtles worldwide, the Caribbean’s endangered green and loggerhead turtles are threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, egg collection, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and pollution. Hawksbill turtles are also threatened by hunting for tortoise shell and suffered global population declines of 80 per cent over the last century.
“This far-sighted decision represents an outstanding outcome for Cuba, for the wider Caribbean, and for conservation,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme.
“Cuba is to be commended for the example it has set in intelligent decision-making informed by science and the long term best interests of its people”.
The phase out of the marine turtle fishery in Cuba is the result of a joint effort by the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries and WWF, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
“This decision reflects the political will of the Cuban government to join the call of the international community to adopt measures that guarantee the conservation of marine turtles”, declared Dr. Elisa Garcia, Director of Fishing Regulations at the Ministry of Fisheries of Cuba.
The two remaining fishing communities used to harvest marine turtles in Cuba are being provided with funds and technical assistance to help them implement specifically developed sustainable economic alternatives, modernize their fishing fleets, re-train their inhabitants and engage them in hawksbill turtle protection activities.
The WWF/CIDA grant of over $400,000 also supports the Ministry's Centre for Fisheries Research to become a regional hub for marine turtle conservation and research, capitalizing on decades of experience by leading Cuban scientists. It will also strengthen the Office for Fisheries Inspection (the Cuban Fisheries law enforcement group) to ensure compliance with the ban.
Recent research has shown that the Hawksbill’s preference for feeding on sponges means it plays a significant but until recently unappreciated role in the continued health of coral reefs, by opening up new feeding opportunities for some varieties of reef fish.
Contacts :
Michael Bliemsrieder
Regional Director for Cuba
and the Greater Antilles
WWF-Canada
35 O'Connor St., Suite 304
Ottawa, ON K1P 5M4, Canada
Direct: (613) 232 8706
Fax: (613) 232 4181
Email: mbliemsrieder@wwfcanada.org
Jose L. Gerhartz
Field Manager for Cuba
WWF-Canada, Havana Field Office
Miramar Trade Centre
Edificio Santiago de Cuba, Oficina 203
5ta Ave. y 78, Miramar, Playa
La Habana, CUBA
Tel: (53-7) 204 9016
Email: jgerhartz@wwfcanada.org
http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=122340
Such a resolution, ending Cuba’s long standing harvest of 500 critically endangered hawksbill turtles a year, has been sought by conservationists for more than a decade. It will benefit turtles hatching on beaches throughout the Caribbean and coming regularly to feed in Cuban waters.
Like marine turtles worldwide, the Caribbean’s endangered green and loggerhead turtles are threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, egg collection, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and pollution. Hawksbill turtles are also threatened by hunting for tortoise shell and suffered global population declines of 80 per cent over the last century.
“This far-sighted decision represents an outstanding outcome for Cuba, for the wider Caribbean, and for conservation,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme.
“Cuba is to be commended for the example it has set in intelligent decision-making informed by science and the long term best interests of its people”.
The phase out of the marine turtle fishery in Cuba is the result of a joint effort by the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries and WWF, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
“This decision reflects the political will of the Cuban government to join the call of the international community to adopt measures that guarantee the conservation of marine turtles”, declared Dr. Elisa Garcia, Director of Fishing Regulations at the Ministry of Fisheries of Cuba.
The two remaining fishing communities used to harvest marine turtles in Cuba are being provided with funds and technical assistance to help them implement specifically developed sustainable economic alternatives, modernize their fishing fleets, re-train their inhabitants and engage them in hawksbill turtle protection activities.
The WWF/CIDA grant of over $400,000 also supports the Ministry's Centre for Fisheries Research to become a regional hub for marine turtle conservation and research, capitalizing on decades of experience by leading Cuban scientists. It will also strengthen the Office for Fisheries Inspection (the Cuban Fisheries law enforcement group) to ensure compliance with the ban.
Recent research has shown that the Hawksbill’s preference for feeding on sponges means it plays a significant but until recently unappreciated role in the continued health of coral reefs, by opening up new feeding opportunities for some varieties of reef fish.
Contacts :
Michael Bliemsrieder
Regional Director for Cuba
and the Greater Antilles
WWF-Canada
35 O'Connor St., Suite 304
Ottawa, ON K1P 5M4, Canada
Direct:
Fax: (613) 232 4181
Email: mbliemsrieder@wwfcanada.org
Jose L. Gerhartz
Field Manager for Cuba
WWF-Canada, Havana Field Office
Miramar Trade Centre
Edificio Santiago de Cuba, Oficina 203
5ta Ave. y 78, Miramar, Playa
La Habana, CUBA
Tel:
Email: jgerhartz@wwfcanada.org
http://www.panda.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=122340
Friday, 16 February 2007
Sea Creatures to Be Tracked Electronically
By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press
In a modern update of "fish and chips," researchers are planning a worldwide effort to track the movement of sea creatures tagged with tiny electronic devices.
Following pilot testing in the north Pacific, the Ocean Tracking Network will expand to the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico.
Details of the expansion were scheduled to be announced Monday at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Sea life ranging from salmon to whales, turtles to sharks, will be tagged so they can then be tracked as they swim past arrays of sensors placed at critical locations in the oceans.
Read more at Environmental News Network
In a modern update of "fish and chips," researchers are planning a worldwide effort to track the movement of sea creatures tagged with tiny electronic devices.
Following pilot testing in the north Pacific, the Ocean Tracking Network will expand to the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico.
Details of the expansion were scheduled to be announced Monday at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Sea life ranging from salmon to whales, turtles to sharks, will be tagged so they can then be tracked as they swim past arrays of sensors placed at critical locations in the oceans.
Read more at Environmental News Network
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
underwater.com.au Forum
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