fossette-panatlantic-2014.pdf (912.77 kB)
Pan-atlantic analysis of the overlap of a highly migratory species, the leatherback turtle, with pelagic longline fisheries
journal contribution
posted on 2014-04-07, 00:00 authored by S Fossette, M J Witt, P Miller, M A Nalovic, D Albareda, A P Almeida, A C Broderick, D Chacón-Chaverri, M S Coyne, A Domingo, S Eckert, D Evans, A Fallabrino, S Ferraroli, A Formia, B Giffoni, Graeme HaysGraeme Hays, G Hughes, L Kelle, A Leslie, M López-Mendilaharsu, P Luschi, L Prosdocimi, S Rodriguez-Heredia, A Turny, S Verhage, B J GodleyLarge oceanic migrants play important roles in ecosystems, yet many species are of conservation concern as a result of anthropogenic threats, of which incidental capture by fisheries is frequently identified. The last large populations of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, occur in the Atlantic Ocean, but interactions with industrial fisheries could jeopardize recent positive population trends, making bycatch mitigation a priority. Here, we perform the first pan-Atlantic analysis of spatio-temporal distribution of the leatherback turtle and ascertain overlap with longline fishing effort. Data suggest that the Atlantic probably consists of two regional management units: northern and southern (the latter including turtles breeding in South Africa). Although turtles and fisheries show highly diverse distributions, we highlight nine areas of high susceptibility to potential bycatch (four in the northern Atlantic and five in the southern/equatorial Atlantic) that are worthy of further targeted investigation and mitigation. These are reinforced by reports of leatherback bycatch at eight of these sites. International collaborative efforts are needed, especially from nations hosting regions where susceptibility to bycatch is likely to be high within their exclusive economic zone (northern Atlantic: Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Spain, USA and Western Sahara; southern Atlantic: Angola, Brazil, Namibia and UK) and from nations fishing in these high-susceptibility areas, including those located in international waters.
History
Journal
Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological SciencesVolume
281Issue
1780Pagination
1 - 8Publisher
Royal Society PublishingLocation
London, United KingdomPublisher DOI
eISSN
1471-2954Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal articleCopyright notice
2014, The AuthorsUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
incidental captureinternational collaborationmarine protected areamarine vertebratemitigationsatellite trackingAnimal MigrationAnimalsAtlantic OceanConservation of Natural ResourcesEcosystemFisheriesPopulation DensityPopulation DynamicsTurtlesScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBiologyEcologyEvolutionary BiologyLife Sciences & Biomedicine - Other TopicsEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyDERMOCHELYS-CORIACEASEA-TURTLESMOVEMENTSBYCATCHCONSERVATIONTRACKINGIDENTIFICATIONLOGGERHEADTELEMETRYPATTERNS
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