Abstract

The conservation plan for marine turtles in the FWI has been approved by the National Council for Nature Conservation in 2006. A major objective was to identify the main threats on marine turtles. By-catch of locally used fishing tools impact hundreds of turtles every year. Fisheries in the region are mostly artisanal. Most fishing is done by fishers using 6- 8m boats fitted with outboard motors, employing a variety of techniques and gears. There are 1300 fishermen for about 1177 boats. Fisheries are concentrated on the continental shelf because of its accessibility and the presence of numerous species of commercial interest. Marine coastal resources are more and more exploited using nets. According to the local experts, the renewable resources are overfished. Bottom trammel nets and bottom gillnets targeting fishes, queen conch and spiny lobsters are first concerned. Their number increase and their impact on marine resources is not compatible with long term management. As a result, we observe huge mortality of fishes and marine turtles. Our main concern is to develop new gears and techniques that would preserve marine resources in the long term and reduce significantly marine turtles by-catch. These will have to meet the expectation of fishermen and respect the local fishery enforcement. We will also estimate the changes required on artisanal fisheries for marine turtles conservation. We expect to identify the most selective existing, modified or new fishing tools with no or little impact on marine turtles. We present the protocol developed to reach these objectives.

PDF Preview