Bi-National Recovery Plan for the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
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Bi-National Recovery Plan for the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) SECOND REVISION Secretariat of Environment National Commission Federal Attorney of & Natural Resources of Natural Protected Areas Environmental Protection MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Department of Interior National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE Cover Photograph Credits: Top—Wendy Teas, NOAA Bottom Left—NOAA Bottom Right—Toni Torres, Gladys Porter Zoo: June 5, 2011 arribada at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico Bi-National Recovery Plan for the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) Original Approved: September 19, 1984 First Revision Approved: August 21, 1992 Approved: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________ Eric C. Schwaab Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Silver Spring, Maryland Approved: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________ Benjamin Tuggle, Region 2 Director Fish andWildlife Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico Approved: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________ Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada Secretariat of Environment & Natural Resources Mexico Approved: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________ Luis Fueyo MacDonald National Commissioner of the Natural Protected Areas Mexico Approved: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________ Hernando Guerrero Cázares Administrator of the Federal Attorney of Environmental Protection Mexico This Page Intentionally Left Blank TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. i DISCLAIMER.............................................................................................................................. iii RECOVERY TEAM .................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... vi LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................... xi PREFACE ................................................................................................................................... xiii PART I: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... I-1 A. LISTING STATUS ........................................................................................................... I-1 B. TAXONOMY ..................................................................................................................... I-2 C. SPECIES DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................... I-4 D. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND TRENDS ........................................................ I-4 E. LIFE HISTORY/ECOLOGY .......................................................................................... I-8 E.1. Terrestrial Zone: Adult/Egg/Hatchling Stage .......................................................... I-9 E.2. Neritic Zone: Early Transitional Neritic Stage for Hatchling/Post-Hatchling ...... I-9 E.3. Oceanic Zone: Juvenile Stage ................................................................................... I-10 E.4. Neritic Zone: Juvenile Stage..................................................................................... I-11 E.5. Neritic Zone: Adult Stage ......................................................................................... I-15 F. DEMOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................. I-15 F.1. Age and Growth ......................................................................................................... I-15 F.2. Reproduction.............................................................................................................. I-17 F.3. Survival Rates ............................................................................................................ I-17 F.4. Population Model....................................................................................................... I-18 G. CONSERVATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS ................................................................ I-22 G.1. Existing Regulatory Mechanisms ........................................................................... I-22 G.2. Beach Protection ....................................................................................................... I-23 G.3. Marine Protection ..................................................................................................... I-25 G.4. Research Efforts ........................................................................................................ I-27 G.5 Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network ........................................................... I-35 G.6. Educational Efforts ................................................................................................... I-36 H. THREATS ........................................................................................................................ I-39 H.1. Terrestrial Zone (Nesting Beach) ............................................................................ I-39 H.1.1. Resource Use ........................................................................................................ I-39 H.1.2. Construction ......................................................................................................... I-41 H.1.3. Ecosystem Alterations.......................................................................................... I-43 H.1.4. Pollution ............................................................................................................... I-44 H.1.5. Species Interactions.............................................................................................. I-45 H.1.6. Other Factors ........................................................................................................ I-47 H.2. Marine: Neritic and Oceanic Zone .......................................................................... I-49 H.2.1. Resource Use: Fisheries Bycatch ......................................................................... I-49 H.2.2. Resource Use: Non Fisheries ............................................................................... I-59 H.2.3. Construction ......................................................................................................... I-60 H.2.4. Ecosystem Alterations.......................................................................................... I-63 H.2.5. Pollution ............................................................................................................... I-66 i H.2.6. Species Interactions.............................................................................................. I-69 H.2.7 Other Factors ......................................................................................................... I-71 PART II: RECOVERY STRATEGY .................................................................................... II-1 A. OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... II-1 B. RECOVERY GOAL ........................................................................................................ II-1 C. RECOVERY CRITERIA ................................................................................................ II-2 C.1. Downlisting Criteria ................................................................................................. II-2 C.1.1. Demographic Criteria ........................................................................................... II-2 C.1.2. Listing Factor Criteria .......................................................................................... II-2 C.2. Delisting Criteria ....................................................................................................... II-3 C.2.1. Demographic Criteria ........................................................................................... II-3 C.2.2. Listing Factor Criteria .......................................................................................... II-3 D. STEPDOWN OUTLINE AND NARRATIVE .............................................................. II-5 PART III: IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE ................................................................... III-1 LITERATURE CITED ........................................................................................................... IV-1 APPRENDIX: KEMP’S RIDLEY THREATS ANALYSIS ................................................. V-1 ii DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate reasonable actions, which are required to recover and/or protect listed species based on the best available science. Plans are published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the Services), sometimes prepared with the assistance of recovery teams, contractors, state agencies, and others. The Kemp’s Ridley recovery plan is a bi-national plan