Sea Turtle Recovery United Nations Environment Action Plan for Jamaica Programme Caribbean Environment Programme Regional Coordinating Unit Prepared by: CEP Technical Report 50 Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boun- daries. The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Environment Programme. © 2011 UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme 14-20 Port Royal Street Kingston, Jamaica This document may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form of educational or non- proper services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledge- ment of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this document as a source. No use of this document may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. For bibliography purposes, this document may be cited as: Haynes-Sutton, Ann, Rhema Kerr Bjorkland and Andrea Donaldson. 2011. WIDECAST Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Jamaica (Ronald A. Bjorkland and Karen L. Eckert, Editors). CEP Technical Report No. 50. UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme, Kingston, Jamaica. xiii + 124 pp. Caribbean Environment Programme United Nations Environment Programme Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Jamaica Ann Haynes-Sutton, Ph.D.1 Rhema Kerr Bjorkland, Ph.D.2 Andrea Donaldson3 1 Marshall’s Pen, Mandeville, Jamaica 2 Duke University Marine Laboratory, North Carolina, USA 3 National Environment and Planning Agency, Kingston, Jamaica Ronald A. Bjorkland, Ph.D. Karen L. Eckert, Ph.D. Editors Prepared by: CEP Technical Report No. 50 __________________________________________________________________ 2011 Jamaica Sea Turtles … PREFACE Of the six species of sea turtle that inhabit the Caribbean Sea, all are classified as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In addition to centuries of regulated but largely unmonitored exploitation, sea turtles are accidentally captured and often drowned in active and abandoned fishing gear, resulting in death to uncounted tens (perhaps hundreds) of thousands annually. Coral reef and seagrass degradation, oil spills, chemical waste, persistent plastic and other marine debris, high density coastal development, and an increase in ocean-based tourism have damaged or eliminated nesting beaches and feeding grounds. Population declines are complicated by the fact that causal factors are not always local. Sea turtles are migratory at all life stages, meaning that what appears as a decline in a local population may be a direct consequence of the activities of people many hundreds of kilometers away. Thus, while local conser- vation is crucial, action is also called for at the regional level. To adequately protect migratory sea turtles and achieve the objectives of the UNEP/CEP Regional Pro- gramme for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife, The Strategy for the Development of the Caribbean Environment Programme (1990-1995) called for “the development of specific management plans for economically and ecologically important species”, making particular reference to endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species of sea turtle. This is consistent with Article 10 of the Cartagena Convention (1983), which states that Contracting Parties shall “individually or jointly take all appropriate measures to protect ... the habitat of depleted, threatened or endangered species in the Convention area.” Article 10 of the 1991 Protocol to the Cartagena Convention concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol) specifies that Parties “carry out recovery, management, planning and other measures to effect the survival of [endangered or threatened] species” and regulate or prohibit activities having “adverse effects on such species or their habitats”. Article 11 declares that each Party “shall ensure total protection and recovery to the species of fauna listed in Annex II”. All six species of Carib- bean-occurring sea turtles were included in Annex II in 1991. This CEP Technical Report is the 14th in a series of Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plans prepared by the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST1), a coalition of Caribbean sea turtle specialists, natural resource managers, and community-based organisations. The objectives of the Re- covery Action Plan series are to assist Caribbean governments in the discharge of their obligations under the SPAW Protocol, to promote a regional capability to implement scientifically sound sea turtle manage- ment and conservation programs, and to encourage a unified approach among range States. Each Recovery Action Plan summarises the known distribution of sea turtles, discusses major causes of mortality, evaluates the effectiveness of existing conservation laws, and prioritises implementing mea- sures for stock recovery. This document was developed and thoroughly peer-reviewed by national stake- holder-led processes, with WIDECAST serving as scientific advisor, and upon completion was submitted to the UNEP-CEP Regional Coordinating Unit (Kingston, Jamaica) and the CEP Focal Point in Jamaica for approval and permission to publish. 1 WIDECAST is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 by Monitor International in response to a recommendation by the IUCN/CCA Meeting of Non-Governmental Caribbean Organizations on Living Resources Conservation for Sustainable Development in the Wider Caribbean (Santo Domingo, 26-29 August 1981) that a “Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan should be prepared ... consistent with the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme.” WIDECAST is comprised of Country Coordinators in more than 40 States and territories, and has serv- ed the CEP for more than a quarter-century in support of a shared vision to “protecting the marine environment of the wider Caribbean region for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations” and to ensure “coordinated and comprehensive development without environmental damage” (Preamble, Cartagena Convention). WIDECAST embraces an extensive network of interested citizens – including scientists, conservationists, resource managers, educators and policy-makers – working together to reverse the declining trend in Wider Caribbean sea turtle popula- tions by promoting a region-wide capability to design and implement science-based conservation and management measures. Financial support comes from both private and public (Government) sources, and includes the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme. Page i CEP Technical Report No. 50 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of all those persons who have contributed to the prep- aration of this Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Jamaica. We are indebted to the Ministry of Agricul- ture and Fisheries for consistent support and staff involvement in the national consultative processes that were integral to the development of this landmark document, the first for sea turtles in Jamaica. Our very special thanks, as well, to the Environmental Fund of Jamaica (EFJ) for funding the nesting beach surveys, the consultative processes that supported the development of this action plan, and tech- nical assistance in writing the document. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and the UNEP Car- ibbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP) also provided support and encouragement for research and for development of this landmark national document. The Center for Marine Conservation at Duke University generously provided a grant for printing. We would like to thank the many members of the Jamaican Sea Turtle Recovery Network (STRN) – including NGOs, Fisheries Division, Jamaica Defense Force, Coast Guard, Marine Police, University of the West Indies, and many, many fishers, divers, landowners and other interested individuals – who have patrolled nesting beaches, given freely of their time and expertise, and critically reviewed the document in its various incarnations. We are particularly grateful for the support given to the project by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), now integrated within the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and especially the staff of the National Parks, Protected Areas and Wildlife Branch and the Technical Support and Electronic Information System. These colleagues have been invaluable in providing facilities and technical support in the production of this document. We would also like to acknowledge Ms. Christine O'Sullivan (UNEP-CEP) for her thorough review and helpful comments on the final draft. Finally, to our editors Dr. Ronald Bjorkland and Dr. Karen Eckert, the authors extend our deep apprecia- tion for your thorough and thoughtful editing. Our special thanks to Karen Eckert for her unwavering sup- port and commitment to the project, and to our valued colleagues and mentors throughout the region who, through our collective involvement in the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), nurture our efforts in Jamaica, share educational and technical resources with us, and in so many ways assist us in reaching our shared objective of a sustainable future. Page ii Jamaica Sea Turtles