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The Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter was initiated to provide a forum for exchange of information on sea turtle biology and conservation, management and education and awareness activities in the Indian subcontinent, Indian Ocean region, and South/Southeast Asia. The newsletter also intends to cover related aspects such as coastal zone management, fisheries and marine biology. The newsletter is distributed free of cost to a network of government and non-government organisations and individuals in the region. All articles are also freely available in PDF and HTML formats on the website. Readers can submit names and addresses of individuals, NGOs, research institutions, schools and colleges, etc for inclusion in the mailing list. SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS IOTN articles are peer reviewed by a member of the editorial board and a reviewer. In addition to invited and submitted articles, IOTN also publishes notes, letters and announcements. We also welcome casual notes, anecdotal accounts and snippets of information. Manuscripts should be submitted by email to: [email protected] and [email protected] Manuscripts should be submitted in standard word processor formats or saved as rich text format (RTF). Figures should not be embedded in the text; they may be stored in EXCEL, JPG, TIF or BMP formats. High resolution figures may be requested after acceptance of the article. In the text, citations should appear as: (Vijaya, 1982), (Silas et al., 1985), (Kar & Bhaskar, 1982). References should be arranged chronologically, and multiple references may be separated by a semi colon. Please refer to IOTN issues or to the Guide to Authors on the website for formatting and style. Authors should provide complete contact information including an email address, phone and fax numbers. Reference styles in list: Vijaya, J. 1982. Turtle slaughter in India. Marine Turtle Newsletter 23: 2. Silas, E.G., M. Rajagopalan, A.B. Fernando & S. S. Dan. 1985. Marine turtle conservation & management: A survey of the situation in Orissa 1981/82 & 1982/83. Marine Fisheries Information Service Technical & Extension Service 50: 13-23. Pandav, B. 2000. Conservation & management of olive ridley sea turtles on the Orissa coast. PhD thesis. Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. Kar, C.S. & S. Bhaskar. 1982. The status of sea turtles in the Eastern Indian Ocean. In: The Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles (ed. K. Bjorndal), pp. 365-372. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., USA. This newsletter is produced with support from: Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment www.atre e.org IOTN ONLINE IS AVAILABLE AT http://www.seaturtle.org/iotn Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 6 Interaction of Sea Turtles with Indonesian Fisheries – Preliminary Findings Imam Musthofa Zainudin1, Lida Pet-Soede2, Creusa Hitipeuw3 and Windya Adnyana4 WWF-Indonesia, Jl. Mega Kuningan lot 8.9/A9 Kawasan Mega Kuningan Jakarta 12950, Indonesia Email: 1. [email protected], [email protected], 3. [email protected], 4. [email protected] Introduction There were three main reasons for the WWF Six of the world’s seven turtle species are found in involvement in assessing the interactions between Indonesia: leatherbacks, greens, hawksbills, olive Indonesian fisheries and sea turtles through ridleys, loggerheads and flatbacks. With its observer programmes: numerous islands, extensive coastline, vast areas of • In a previous FAO expert meeting, the sea grass beds and coral reefs, Indonesia provides potential significant threat of by-catch on important nesting and foraging grounds to sea already collapsing leatherback turtle turtles. Indonesia hosts the largest rookery for populations was discussed and WWF decided green turtles recorded in Southeast Asia, in the to start collecting information for Indonesia. Berau Islands, East Kalimantan, and the largest Only anecdotal evidence existed, very little nesting rookery for leatherback turtles located was published on the issue and while the along the northern coast of Papua. Each season Indonesian government had mandated the use between 1,865-3,601 nests are recorded at of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in the Jamursba-Medi and 2,881 nests at Wermon shrimp trawling since many years, previous (Hitipeuw et al, 2007). Satellite tracking data and NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric tracing records of flipper tags indicate that these Administration, US Dept. of commerce) greens and leatherbacks migrate very large studies indicated that the application of TEDs distances over open waters from their nesting is very low. grounds to get to their feeding grounds. These sea • NOAA provided WWF with grant support to turtles face various threats while they are in start training tuna long-line fishing crews in Indonesian territory. Supporting the Indonesian proper release of hooked turtles. WWF had no government in their implementation of laws and information on how many turtles were hooked regulations (Table 1), WWF-Indonesia has taken a and in what area, and needed to collate strategic approach towards turtle conservation information to allow a selection of training which includes: participants. • Habitat protection for green and hawksbill • Also, the Indonesian government started taking turtles mostly in Berau District, East a more active role in regional initiatives, Kalimantan and for leatherback and olive and signed the IOSEA MOU (Indian Ocean ridley turtles at Jamursba Medi, Papua. South- East Asia Sea Turtle Memorandum • Reducing direct take in the turtle trade mostly of Understanding) in March 2005 in Bangkok, in Bali in the traditional hunting for formalised the Sulu Sulawesi Marine leatherback at the Kei Islands – Maluku. Eco-region tri-national agreement in March • Reducing indirect take – by-catch, mostly in 2006 in East Kalimantan, and signed the the tuna fisheries, the shrimp fisheries and Bismarck Solomon Seas Eco-region MOU some coastal fisheries. on leatherback conservation in September • Support enabling policy, mostly through the 2006 in Bali. Indonesia is also preparing to facilitation of local, national and international sign up as full member for Regional Fisheries meetings and campaigns. Management Organisations (RFMOs) especially for the IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna July, 2007 1 Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 6 Commission) and WCPFC (Western & Central June 7, 2005. A public consultation was held in Pacific Fisheries Commission). To fulfil Denpasar, Bali that resulted in a joined declaration information requirements for the RFMOs and and national action plan for addressing by-catch other international and regional initiatives, with coordination by the Research Centre for Indonesian data on by-catch, total catch and Capture Fisheries of the Ministry of Marine Affairs geographical fishing patterns are needed. The and Fisheries and supported by Indonesian system of on-board log-books introduced in stakeholders including the tuna. This paper the late 1970s is not well implemented. summarises preliminary findings of the occurrence of by-catch and mitigation efforts taken National action on reducing by-catch in the since 2005. Indonesian tuna long-line fishery was initiated on Table 1: Relevant regulations for sea turtle conservation in Indonesia Relevant national decrees Year Remarks Ratification of the Convention on International Trade in Presidential Decree No. 43 1978 Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Determination of several types of wild animals to be protected Ministerial Decree agriculture No. 327 1978 (whales, dolphins, crocodiles, leatherback turtles) Determination of several types of wild animal to be protected Ministerial Decree agriculture No. 716 1980 (whales, grey, olive ridley and loggerhead turtles) Act No. 4 1982 Basic provision for management of the living environment Ratification of the ASEAN agreement on the conservation of Presidential Decree No. 26 1986 nature and natural resources Act No. 5 1990 Conservation of living natural resources and their ecosystems Presidential Decree No. 32 1990 Management of protected areas Ministerial Decree Forestry no. 882/Kpts/-II 1992 Protection of the flatback turtle (Natator depressus) Act no. 5 1994 Ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity Ministerial Decree Forestry No. 771/Kpts/-II 1996 Protection of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Government Regulation No. 7 1999 Protection of all turtle species including the green turtles Methods that there were interactions between sea turtles and several types of fishing gears. The fishermen often Validation and up-to-date information on spotted sea turtles during their fishing activities occurrence of sea turtles as by-catch in Indonesia’s and this indicates that their fishing grounds overlap fishery was needed to assess the importance of the with migratory routes for sea turtles. issue and to find the best strategy for reducing by- catch. We interviewed fishermen and initiated an Most respondents admitted that they caught sea on-board observer programme. turtles during fishing, at least one animal in their most recent trip (Appendix 1). They did not think it Interviewing fishermen was a big problem, but considering the large fleet, a minimum of one animal per trip per vessel results There were long debates among stakeholders on in a large number of interactions throughout the the occurrence of by-catch in the Indonesian year. From the survey it was also clear that all fishery. WWF worked with research institutions respondents were willing to release the turtles, and