I was passed the following video via a sea turtle listserv and thought I’d share some real-life CSI action with everyone.  NOAA Marine Forensics- “Investigators in Puerto Rico were tipped off that an organized ring of poachers was selling turtle meat on the black market. This evidence was used to convict the turtle poachers on charges of illegally fishing and selling the meat and eggs of an endangered species.”

What do we do with these eggs?  And this debated question has nothing to do with which came first but is a topic that has been breaking the surf in sea turtle conservation circles.  Sea turtlers world-wide have been pondering three possible scenarios for the fate of sea turtle eggs that have been deposited in nests doomed for failure.  Whether the nest is vulnerable to tidal inundation or susceptible to erosion, conservation efforts have traditionally included the relocation of eggs in these unsuccessful nests to sites that will triumph.  The contention with the traditional relocation approach is a potential meddling of sea turtle gene pools through enabling the survival of hatchlings that would actually have succumbed to Darwin’s survival of the fittest.  If nest selection is a heritable trait, then females who select the best sites are crucial for the continued survival of the species and are responsible for their past success.  Simply stated, through relocation, humans are imposing artificial selection.

1.  Let nature take its course and do not relocate vulnerable eggs

2.   Relocate eggs and increase dwindling sea turtle population numbers (and potentially accept a changing gene pool)

3.  Commercialize/sell the doomed eggs and use profits for conservation efforts

Although more research is definitely needed, those opposing any type of commercialization received a boost to their argument in a new publication Nest-Site Selection in Individual Loggerhead Turtles and Consequences for Doomed-Egg Relocation.

According to findings, nest site selection is a product of experience rather than genetics. What is most interesting is that there appears to be variability in nest selection, which actually bodes well for long-term survival as the turtles do not necessarily return to the exact same beach but those in a general area.  Differences in erosion potential, predation, and profile between beaches enable increased nesting success since females exhibit variable nest-site selection strategies.  Thus, a strategy that works on one may not work on the next beach and hence speaks volumes towards the evolutionary accomplishment of marine turtles.

The authors conclude, “Because concerns over distortion of the gene pool have been a major impetus for proposing the commercialization of doomed eggs indicate that such commercialization cannot be justified on this biological basis for at least some, and perhaps most, sea turtle populations. (Pfaller, et al.)”

The argument does beg the question, “W hat harm will come from selling doomed sea turtle eggs?”  I’m sure it is not just me, but something  does seem inherently wrong with trafficking in threatened and endangered species products.    Firstly, can regulations alone ensure doomed eggs are the only ones that will enter the market?  Poaching is already a huge problem with sea turtle eggs and many other commercially viable species.  Ensuring that local markets are only providing legally harvested eggs is a daunting management task. 

Secondly, a determination must be made as to which nests are indeed doomed and available for harvesting.  Some nests will definitely fit a doomed profile, but there is not 100% accuracy in deciding which category a nest should fall…err on the side of caution I suppose.  Thirdly, there is the ecologically benefit the doomed eggs provide.  Plants, animals, scavengers, etc. rely on the nutrient value of these eggs for survival. 

Of course this is only a small piece of the sea turtle puzzle as under optimal circumstances a hands-off approach is always the best course of action.  Populations are able to cope with naturally occurring forms of loss such as predation and water inundation, but as habitats decline, human encroachment increases, greed rises, and communities struggle with survival the turtles find themselves on the losing end.

Who you gonna call? Raccoons! Well, that’s what a new study in Biological Conservation is suggesting in regards to threatened loggerhead turtles. Conservation plans typically call for raccoon management tactics as they are notorious sea turtle egg harvesters. At face value it makes sense to control sea turtle egg predation by keeping such nest raiders at bay, but researchers have actually found that lower instances of nest predation occur in areas where there are more raccoons.

It turns out that raccoons have a taste for ghost crabs in addition to turtle eggs, and by removing them from the ecosystem the natural balance of the food web is upset. A low population of raccoons leads to an increased population of ghost crabs, which ultimately results in higher turtle egg predation.

Besides the obvious point that over time nature has established a functioning system reliant upon biodiversity, it also attests to the notion that if the food web changes at a faster rate than the population, then the population may not be able to recover (i.e. extinction); effectively upsetting the sustainability of the lower systems that depend upon the more complex systems for survival. In this case raccoons, ghost crabs and sea turtles are important in each other’s continued existence. There is a cause and effect that flows both ways and the effects may or may not be seen immediately.

By rapidly altering the ecosystem and increasing the state/structural change faster than that at the population level, wildlife within the system are unable to cope. In order to have a long-term management plan for sea turtles, officials must work to ensure that the ecosystem remains intact and functional. Thus, short-term actions aimed at population recovery must be supported by ecosystem preservation plans that ensure support of the entire community, which by the way includes all the species that comprise the loggerhead’s food web.

Wildlife management is a very intricate concept or process that is easily stated in the phrase “Protection of the ecosystem”, but is extremely difficult to implement when the complexities of wildlife populations, food webs, habitats, human presence, and politics are involved.

As the weather begins its annual warming trend, streams of aroma emanate from backyard barbeques, droves of people clamor to beaches and coastal cities, and grocery stores, markets and restaurants tempt our appetites with a bounty of seafood choices. Most casual shoppers do not give a second thought to the origin of the seafood that fill the glass case, but are more concerned with the price and which sides best complement the dish. Whether it’s on sale or regular price, the seafood of you choice may have cost more than you think.

This hidden expense is not measured in dollars and cents, but is calculated in pounds of bycatch. Bycatch is the unintentional take of fish and marine life during commercial fishing operations. Unfortunately, the majority of bycatch, either dead, injured or in danger of dying, is thrown overboard. This waste of life not only includes the undesired sex, size or quality of the target species, but also includes dolphins, whales, sea turtles, birds and a variety of other sea inhabitants.

According to research (conducted at the Duke University Marine Laboratory and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland) submitted in June of 2003 to the International Whaling Commission, 308,000 cetaceans die annually as a result of fishing practices. This is nearly 850 whales, dolphins and porpoises that drown everyday when they become entangled in fishing gear.

Cetaceans are not the only victims of commercial fishing techniques. The endangered leatherback sea turtle is under threat from pelagic longline fishing practices. Scientists estimated in 2003 that there are less than 5,000 nesting female leatherbacks in the Pacific Ocean, down from 91,000 in 1980. Primarily used to catch swordfish and tuna, longlining vessels lay out 40 to 60 mile long lines of baited hooks. Unfortunately, this indiscriminant method tangles, catches and drowns sea turtles.

Pelagic longlining is not the only culprit as shrimp trawling produces 4 times as much bycatch as it does actual shrimp. This means for every 1 pound of shrimp, 4 pounds of marine life are discarded, in many cases dead or dying. These fishing methods are examples of a bigger problem of unsustainable fishing practices that flourish in the commercial fisheries market. To most of us the oceans represent an unlimited trove of natural resources. However, this misguided view and the popularity of many species is driving populations to extremely low levels. The healthy populations we once took for granted are now in harms way.

Realizing a need for action, governmental agencies and organizations have been experimenting with turtle excluder devices and other designs to limit incidental catch. However more action is needed including public support and awareness. As with any industry, sales drive the market, and in order for commercial fisheries to adopt conservation-minded harvesting techniques, responsible, concerned consumers must also adopt sustainable shopping techniques.