Diego Alejandro Albareda, MV Chairman of the Scientific Committee/IAC Programa Regional de Investigación y Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas en Argentina (PRICTMA) dalbareda@zoobuenosaires.com.ar

What is the IAC? IAC is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the legal framework for countries in the Americas to take actions in benefit of sea turtles. Addresses the need to implement measures harmonized among nations, coordinate multilateral conservation and protection actions, and oversee the implementation of a regional agenda that will lead to the recovery of these species. Entered into force in May 2001 & currently has 15 Contracting Parties.

IAC Contracting Parties

• Argentina • Belize • Brasil • Costa Rica • Chile • Ecuador • EEUU • Guatemala • Honduras • México • Caribbean Netherlands • Panamá • Perú • Uruguay • Venezuela

Sea Turtles of the Americas

M.Sharer, 2005

NPS Photo, Cynthia Rubio Foto: CCC Karumbe Fotos

Dermochelys coriacea

Eretmochelys imbricata

Chelonia mydas

Caretta caretta Lepidochelys olivacea

Lepidochelys kempii

Nesting and feeding areas

• Argentina • Brazil • Chile • Ecuador • Perú • Uruguay • Venezuela • Colombia

The evidence of ingestion of plastic by sea turtles is registered in at least 8 of the 11 coastal countries of the South America …

• Blockages - septicemia • Internal injuires • Lacerations • Entanglement

Letal effects

• Dietary dilution • Impaired immunity • Malnutrition • Starvation

Subletal effects

• Accumulation of plastic on beaches, has consequences both on spawning and incubation and hatchling.

Habitat degradation

Letal Effects

PRICTMA (ARG) Karumbé (URU)

Tamar (BRA)

Letal Effects

Tamar (BRA)

Karumbé (URU) Tamar (BRA)

Entanglement

Karumbé (URU)

Karumbé (URU)

The role of the Rio de la Plata bottom salinity front in acumulating debris

(a) Rio de la Plata estuarine area (Arg–Uru). The yellow line represents the modal position of the turbidity front, which is a proxy of the bottom salinity front position. (b) Conceptual diagram of the Rio de la Plata frontal system (González C. et al, 2013).

PRICTMA (ARG)

PRICTMA (ARG)

Plastic debris distribution overlapped with green turtle foraging areas in the Rio de la Plata (Argentina – Uruguay).

• In Florianopolis (Santa Catarina) between 2015-2016, in

84.34 % (n=75) of the necropsies performed was found anthropogenic debris; accounting for 28% (n=75) of deaths (TAMAR, comm pers.).

Brazil

•Approximately 70 % of juvenile green turtles have solid waste anthropic in their digestive tracts; accounting for 27 % of deaths (Teryda N., 2015). Uruguay

•Most (90%) of the 62 juveniles examined ingested anthropogenic debris (González C, et al, 2013). Argentina

Municipalities regulations

National and

Provincial regulations

International regulations

Intergovernmental coordination and financial - human resources

Acknowledgment: Delegates of IAC Scientific Committee from Chile, Brazil,

Perú, Ecuador, Venezuela and USA. Projeto TAMAR, Brazil. Karumbé, Uruguay. ecOceanica and Pro Delphinus, Perú. PRICTMA, Argentina. WWF – Colombia. Grupo Recursos Acuáticos – Ministerio Ambiente y Desarrollo

Sustentable, Argentina. Ministerio Relaciones Exteriores y Culto, Argentina. Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, OLA.