Sea Turtle Protection in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific: a Trs Ategy to Reduce Incidental Take and Promote Conservation Brittany A

Sea Turtle Protection in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific: a Trs Ategy to Reduce Incidental Take and Promote Conservation Brittany A

University of Miami Scholarly Repository Open Access Theses Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2013-05-04 Sea Turtle Protection in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific: A trS ategy to Reduce Incidental Take and Promote Conservation Brittany A. Bartlett University of Miami, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses Recommended Citation Bartlett, Brittany A., "Sea Turtle Protection in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific: A Strategy to Reduce Incidental Take and Promote Conservation" (2013). Open Access Theses. Paper 412. This Embargoed is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at Scholarly Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SEA TURTLE PROTECTION IN THE EASTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC: A STRATEGY TO REDUCE INCIDENTAL TAKE AND PROMOTE CONSERVATION By Brittany Bartlett A THESIS Submitted to the Faculty of the University of Miami in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Coral Gables, Florida May 2013 ©2013 Brittany Bartlett All Rights Reserved UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science SEA TURTLE PROTECTION IN THE EASTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC: A STRATEGY TO REDUCE INCIDENTAL TAKE AND PROMOTE CONSERVATION Brittany Bartlett Approved: Maria Estevanez, M.B.A., M.S. M. Brian Blake, Ph.D. Professor of Marine Affairs and Policy Dean of Graduate School Dan DiResta, Ph.D. Neil Hammerschlag, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer/Marine Advisor Research Assistant Professor, Marine Affairs and Policy BARTLETT, BRITTANY (M.S., Marine Affairs and Policy) (May 2013) Sea Turtle Protection in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific: A Strategy to Reduce Incidental Take and Promote Conservation Abstract of a thesis at the University of Miami. Thesis supervised by Professor Maria Estevanez. No. of pages in text (111) Five species of sea turtle inhabit the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape. Based on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, all five of these populations are threatened with extinction. Bycatch, the incidental take of non-target species in fisheries, is the leading cause of sea turtle decline within the region. To address this issue in the region, methods were used to analyze policy and management in attempts to better determine those gaps, which hinder sea turtle protection. Geographic Information Systems, specifically, ArcGIS, was used determine areas of primary importance to sea turtles. The Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) provided data of purse seine interactions within sea turtles in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean. Interaction is defined as live sea turtles sighted by observers from purse seine vessels, whether or not they were involved in a set. Through hot spot cluster analysis and Inverse Distance Interpolation (IDW) the whereabouts of sea turtles was examined in relation to the marine protected areas and Exclusive Economic Zones of the Eastern Pacific countries. Second, an extensive literature review was conducted to identify gaps in current national, regional, and international management plans. With this information, one was able to gain a better understanding of the requirements for proper sea turtle protection and offer recommendations to improve current protection. DEDICATION This research is dedicated to all those dreamers and believers out there who are hoping to make a difference in the world. It is because of people like you that we can have hope for the future. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to acknowledge my outstanding committee members for their guidance, advice, and support throughout this process. Thank you to Maria Estevanez, Dan DiResta, and Neil Hammerschlag for all of your help this past year. And, thank you for maintaining patience with me, despite my countless emails. If it were not for you three none of this would have been possible. No thesis topic would have existed if it were not for the recommendations of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project in northern California. A special thanks to Todd Steiner and Chris Pincetich for providing me with the tools, resources, contacts and ideas needed to further my education and enhance my research. Furthermore, thank you to the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) for providing me with the data needed for my study. A special thanks to Nick Vogel for supporting my project and assisting me with any questions and concerns related to the data throughout the duration of the project. And last, but not least thank you to my friends and family. Mom and dad, thank you for always believing in me and allowing me to pursue my dreams, although it may not be a dream you are familiar with. And, to my friends, thank you for making my time at the University of Miami an unforgettable experience. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing, motivated, and talented group of people. I am certain that you will all make a difference. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures…………………………………………………………………....... vi List of Tables……………………………………………………………………… vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………. 1 1.1. The High Seas…………………………………………………………… 1 1.2. The Status of Sea Turtle Populations in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific.. 2 1.3. The Life History of a Sea Turtle: General Overview…………………... 3 1.4. Migration of the Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle……………………….. 4 1.5. Sea Turtles as Fisheries Bycatch………………………………………... 6 1.6. The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape…………………………………. 7 2. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY…………………………………………………… 10 2.1. Statement of Problem………………………………………………..…… 10 2.2. Purpose of Study…………………………………………………….…... 10 3. METHODS…………………………………………………………………….. 12 3.1. Data Collection…………………………………………………………. 12 3.2. Data Analysis…………………………………………………………... 13 3.3. Spatial Data Creation…………………………………………………… 14 3.4. Analysis & Comparison of Current Mitigation Efforts………………... 16 3.5. Recommendations……………………………………………………… 17 3.6. Limitations……………………………………………………………….. 17 4. RESULTS……………………………………………………………………. 19 4.1. Sea Turtle Distribution…………………………………………………. 19 4.2. Seasonality Influence…………………………………………………... 26 4.3. Influence of Oceanographic Factors…………………………………… 30 4.4. Designated Critical Habitat…………………………………………….. 35 4.5. Current Management & The Gaps……………………………………... 43 5. DATA ANALYSIS & RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………. 66 5.1. Improve Data Collection………………………………………………... 67 5.2. Legislative Improvement……………………………………………….. 74 5.3. Enforcement, Surveillance, & Monitoring……………………………… 81 5.4. Capacity Building………………………………………………………… 84 5.5. Resource Enhancement………………………………………………….. 86 5.6. Conclusion……………………………………………………………….. 87 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………….. 90 Appendix A: Sea Turtle Abundance (2005)……………………………………… 97 Appendix B: Sea Turtle Abundance (2007)……………………………………… 102 Appendix C: Sea Turtle Abundance (2009)………………………………………. 107 v List of Figures Page Figure 1.4.1 Leatherback Sea Turtle Tracking within the Pacific Ocean………….. 4 Figure 1.4.2 Leatherback Sea Turtle Migration in the Eastern Pacific Ocean…….. 5 Figure 1.6 Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape and Cocos Corridor…………….… 7 Figure 4.1.1 Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Abundance………………………………….. 20 Figure 4.1.2 Loggerhead Sea Turtle Abundance…………………………………… 21 Figure 4.1.3 Green Sea Turtle Abundance…………………………………………. 22 Figure 4.1.4 Leatherback Sea Turtle Abundance…………………………………… 23 Figure 4.1.5 Hawksbill Sea Turtle Abundance……………………………………… 24 Figure 4.2.1 2005-2011 Wet Season vs. Dry Season Sea Turtle Sightings………. 27 Figure 4.2.2 Number of Sea Turtles vs. Month……………………………………. 29 Figure 4.2.3 Monthly Catch per Unit Effort (2005-2011)………………………… 29 Figure 4.3.1 Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Density vs. Oceanographic Factors……….. 30 Figure 4.3.2 Loggerhead Sea Turtle Density vs. Oceanographic Factors………… 31 Figure 4.3.3 Green Sea Turtle Density vs. Oceanographic Factors……………...... 32 Figure 4.3.4 Leatherback Sea Turtle Density vs. Oceanographic Factors…........... 33 Figure 4.3.5 Hawksbill Sea Turtle vs. Oceanographic Factors…………………. .34 Figure 4.4.1 Olive Ridley Designated Critical Habitat…………………………… 36 Figure 4.4.2 Loggerhead Designated Critical Habitat……………………………. 37 Figure 4.4.3 Green Sea Turtle Designated Critical Habitat……………………… 38 Figure 4.4.4 Leatherback Sea Turtle Designated Critical Habitat………………. 39 Figure 4.4.5 Hawksbill Sea Turtle Designated Critical Habitat…………………. 40 Figure 4.4.6 Total Days Fished vs. Total Sea Turtle Sightings…………………. 42 Figure 4.5.1 IATTC Convention Area……………………………………………. 50 vi List of Tables Page Table 4.1.1 2011 Sea Turtle Catch per Unit Effort…………………… 25 Table 4.4.1 Current Percent Protection of Designated Critical Habitat……………… 41 Table 4.5.1 Gaps in Governance: International……………………………………… 49 Table 4.5.2 Gaps in Governance: Regional………………………………………… 57 Table 4.5.3 Gaps in Governance: Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape………… 65 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 The High Seas The high seas, consisting of the water column, seabed, and ocean, floor (O’Leary 2012) is a vast area beyond national jurisdiction, making up 64% of the ocean’s total area (Gjerde et al. 2005). It is comprised of multiple habitats and is home to thousands of species. Yet, despite this ecological significance, these waters remain virtually unmanaged as they stretch beyond the zones of jurisdiction of any nation. The deep, open

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