Application of Science in U.S. Sea Turtle Management

Christina Fahy and Irene Kelly

National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Sea Turtle Recovery Coordinators

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Sea Turtle Protections

• All sea turtles in the U.S. are protected under the Endangered Species Act (1973):

…“ to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend may be conserved, and to provide a program for the conservation of such species…”

Illegal to: harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct

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Endangered Species “List” and Critical Habitat (ESA)

Endangered – any species in danger of extinctionThreatened – any species likely to become an

endangered species within the foreseeable futureCritical Habitat“the specific areas on which are found those physical or

biological features (I) essential to the conservation of the species and (II) which may require special management considerations or protection”

Critical habitat should be considered at the time of ESA listing or within a year (or when petitioned by the public)

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“Recovery” = de-List the species

Recovery criteria (e.g. Pacific Leatherback Recovery Plan)All stocks using U.S. waters have been identified to nesting

(“source”) beachesEach stock must average 5,000 females nesting annuallyNesting populations at “source beaches” are stable or

increasing over 25 yearsForaging areas are maintained as healthy environmentsPriority #1 tasks have all been implemented

Website: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/recovery/plans.htm

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Sea Turtles of the U.S. Pacific EEZ

Leatherback turtle(Dermochelys coriacea)globally listed as endangered

North Pacific Loggerhead turtleCaretta carettaOne of 9 “distinct population segments”, NP DPA listed as endangered in 2011

Olive ridley turtleLepidochelys olivaceaGlobally listed as threatened except Pacific Mexico breeding population, listed as endangered

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Sea Turtles of the U.S. Pacific EEZ

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) globally listed as threatened except for the Pacific Mexican breeding population and Florida breeding population (endangered)

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)globally listed as endangered

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NMFS Protected Resources Program

Core Marine Turtle Management Activities• Implement the Endangered Species Act

• Listing and Recovery• Cooperation with the States• Interagency Cooperation (consultations and biological opinions)• Int’l cooperation (e.g. CITES)• Permits

• Implement priority activities of the U.S. Sea Turtle Recovery Plans

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Relationship Between Research and Management Programs

An important role of NMFS Science Center(s) is to undertake research necessary to inform management decisions

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Research Data Applied to Management

Examples of applied research include: • Fisheries bycatch reduction technology applied to

fishery management • Oceanographic and satellite telemetry data to identify

important migratory and foraging habitats for fishery management

• Genetic and tagging studies for stock structure assessment to direct fishery and regional management activities

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Interagency consultation (ESA requirement)

Requires federal agencies to ensure their activities are not likely to “jeopardize the continued existence of” any listed species or result in the destruction or modification of designated critical habitat

Jeopardize the continued existence of – reduce appreciatively the likelihood of both the survival and recovery of a species by reducing their reproduction, numbers or distribution

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Model of Assessment Framework for Jeopardy Analyses

Step 1 -- Identify the Action

Step 7 -- Assess the Risk to Populations

Step 8 -- Assess the Risk to Species

Step 9 -- “jeopardy/no jeopardy” ?

Task A -- Establish Environmental Baseline

Step 6 -- Assess the Risk to IndividualsStep 3 -- Identify the Action Area

Step 2 -- Deconstruct the Action

Step 4 -- Assess the Species’ Exposure

Step 5 -- Assess the Species’ Response

Task B -- Diagnose the Species’ Status

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Case#1California drift gillnet fishery

management

Broadbill swordfish

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Leatherback interactions observed in the CA/OR drift gillnet fishery: 1990-2001

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Origin of leatherbacks captured in CA/OR DGN

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Eastern PacificWestern Pacific

Malaysia

Leatherback Genetic Stocks - Pacific(Dutton et al. 1999, 2007)

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0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

350019

81

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

Estim

ated

fem

ales High

Low

1981-2003

Estimated Number of Female Leatherbacks, Jamursba Medi, Papua, Indonesia

Sea Turtle Conservation Areas

Leatherback Closure

Aug 15 - Nov 15

Loggerhead ClosureJune 1 – Aug 31

(El Nino Yrs Only)

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Drift Gillnet Landings 1994-2006

DGN Effort and Landings

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1994 1999 2004

Year

Num

ber o

f Ves

sels

, Lan

ding

s(10

mt),

Ex-

vess

el R

even

ue ($

100,

000)

# of vessels

landings by 10mt

Ex-vessel revenue$100,000

year vesselsLandings

(mt) Ex-vessel revenue

1994 151 762 4,536,655

1995 134 701 4,190,568

1996 132 734 3,919,232

1997 121 664 3,166,095

1998 113 906 3,967,255

1999 97 597 2,785,199

2000 91 635 2,747,621

2001 82 351 1,541,152

2002 63 298 1,499,163

2003 54 198 1,025,092

2004 45 182 944,391

2005 45 220 1,184,545

2006 44 442 1,990,574

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Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2012 meeting

Recommended to NMFS:• Consider limited re-opening of current closed area

• 2 weeks earlier• redrawing exclusion boundaries

• Consider establishment of hard caps for sea turtles in drift gillnet fishery

• Deadline: March 2013

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Data used to consider critical habitat for leatherbacks:• Bycatch• Ship-board sightings• Shelf observations• Telemetry positions

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Area Restricted Search (red) v.Transiting (black dots)

Leatherbacks (n=40 turtles) engaged in ARS behavior 21% of the time in the California Current Ecosystem

ARS behavior occurred in cool habitats, shallow, with high CHL, low energy areas

[Benson et al. 2011]

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Petition to list Leatherback Critical Habitat off the U.S. west coast - 2007

• NMFS determined that “critical habitat” (physical and biological features that make U.S. west coast important habitat for leatherbacks and essential for conservation) include:

• Prey – [jellyfish] of sufficient condition, density, distribution, diversity and abundance

Brown sea nettles (137 kg/day) Moon jellies (275 kg/day)

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Leatherback Critical Foraging Habitat Designation

(Benson et al., 2007; Dutton et al., 1999 and 2007; Shillinger et al., 2008)

• NOAA final rule - Jan 2012

• 41,914 square miles from surface to 80 m depth

• Primary constituent elements essential for leatherback conservationPrey abundance, quality, quantity, and density

• Activities to manage threats to prey? Entrainment, desalination, coastal runoff (pesticides), etc.

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Case # 2Hawaii Longline Fishery Management

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Research methods to reduce sea turtle interactions in longline gear

Bait Hook type and size

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Research in North Atlantic (US): hook type and bait

C. caretta D. coriacea

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Conservation Measures to Reduce Sea Turtle Interactions in U.S. Pacific Longline Fisheries

Since 2004, U.S. commercial longline fisheries targeting swordfish (shallow-set) operate under strict regulations:

• *gear requirements (circle hooks & fish bait);• safe handling requirements (dipnets, de-hooking);• mandatory observer coverage (100%); and• turtle interaction limits (“caps”)

Safe handling & dehooking Fish bait

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Hawaii shallow-set longline fishery:Switching from J hooks/squid bait to large circle hook/mackerel bait reduced pelagic longline fishery interactions with sea turtles by 90% (Gilman et al. 2007).

(WPRFMC 2008)

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Product: TurtleWatch A science-based management tool to reduce North Pacific loggerhead turtle interactions

(Howell et al. 2008)

http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/eod/turtlewatch.php

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U.S. Sea Turtle Management Activities

Ongoing activities are focused to reduce impacts from:

• Nearshore/offshore fishery interactions • Boat strikes• Power plant entrainment• Disease (fibropapilomatosis) • Land use & waste-water• Coastal development • Tourism and public disturbance • Illegal harvest

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NOAA responsible viewing guidelines for the public

Encourage the public to Enjoy Turtles from a Distance.

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Ongoing International Fishery Management Activities

• Promoting sea turtle conservation in the Regional Fishery Management Organizations (WCPFC, IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC)

• Leading U.S. engagement in international agreements for sea turtles (IOSEA, IAC, SPREP)

• Continuing Bilateral and Regional bycatch reduction work (circle hooks, TEDs, gillnets, pound nets)

• Continuing to build capacity, encouraging observer programs, and promoting scientific exchange

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Thank you!