1 / 18

Conservation and Management of Sea Turtles in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama

This article provides an overview of the domestic laws, regional laws, and international laws related to the conservation and management of sea turtles in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. It also discusses the threats to sea turtles and provides recommendations for their conservation.

bryandavenport
Download Presentation

Conservation and Management of Sea Turtles in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. SHARED CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND USE OF SEA TURTLES IN NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA AND PANAMA • Lic. Nikolas Sánchez Espino • Paulino Madrigal Rodriques, Lic. Candidato • Sekita Grant, LLM Candidate A Synthesis For Policy Makers

  2. Project Overview • Domestic Law: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama • Local management and protection of nesting and foraging beaches • Regional Laws: The SPAW protocol to the Cartagena Convention, SICA, The Central American Biodiversity Convention, The Western Hemisphere Convention, DR-CAFTA • International Law: CITES, Biodiversity Convention, Bonn Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animal, RAMSAR, Law of the Sea Convention • Recommendations

  3. Introduction to Sea Turtles

  4. Species of Significance • Loggerhead • Big Crustaceans • Green Turtle • Sea grass beds • Leatherback • Jelly Fish • Hawksbill Turtle • Sponges on coral

  5. Key: N = Nesting; F = Foraging

  6. Lifecycle Adult feeding grounds Juvenile Photo:CCC file Photo:CCC file Mating Photo:CCC file Hatchlings Photo:S. Troëng Inter-nesting Egg-laying Photo:CCC file Photo:CCC file

  7. Turtle Grass Species Range (Green Turtles) Caribbean Sea Tortuguero Brazil (one return) Green & Short (2003), Photo/foto Marjo Vierros Bermuda Turtle Project

  8. Green Turtle Tag Returns <20 m Caribbean Sea Tortuguero Brazil (one return) Carr et al. (1978), Troëng et al. (In press, en prensa)

  9. Threats to Sea Turtles • Tourism and Coastal Development • Lighting • Coastal Erosion • Consumption • Beach Mining • Climate Change: sea level rise, elimination of food sources, change in ocean currents • Fishing: direct capture (food, trade), incidental capture

  10. Domestic Law • Nicaragua ~ Costa Rica ~ Panama

  11. Nicaragua • Domestic Law • Constitution - fundamental legal basis for natural resource protection and management • Dichotomy • Article 60 - obliges State preservation, conservation and restoration of the environment and natural resources and to establish the appropriate structures and measurees to fulfill this mandate • Article 89 - recognizes the rights of Caribbean coastal communities to preserve and develop their cultural identity • Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura - requires use of TEDs, establishes penalties, allows non-commercial subsistence fishing • Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawskbill protected (Green Turtle can be taken for subsistence purposes during an open season) • Others: Ley de Caza, Reglamento de Explotación y Prohibición de la Destrucción de las Tortugas (1958), Decreto Ejecutivo Relativo a la Veda de Tortugas en el Océano Atlántico (1972), Decreto de Prohibición de Aprehensión y Caza de Toda Clase de Animales Silvestres y Exportación de Huevos de Tortugas (1977), Ley N 2 (1983) (prohibits hunting of Loggerheads and Hawksbill Turtles), Ley General del Medio Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales, Ley de Normalización Técnica y Calidad, Resolución Ministerial que Establece el Sistema de Vedas de Especias Silvestres Nicaraguenses, Acuerdo Ministerial para el Uso de los Aparatos Exclusores de Tortugas • Responsible Organizations - MARENA • Local Management

  12. Costa Rica • Domestic Law • Ley de Protección, Conervación y Recuperación de las Poblaciones de Tortugas Marinas (2002) • Applied international commitments into national law • Penalties for takes • Reiterates TED requirements • Ley de Conservación de Vida Silvestre - protects on land • MINAE Decreto Ejecutivo 26435 (1997) - lists all six marine turtle species occurring in Costa Rica as threatened with extinction • MINAE Decreto Ejecutivo 30364 (2002) - revises penalties for wildlife violations provided by the Wildlife Law 7317 • Responsible Organizations - MINAE, SINAC, INCOPESCA, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública and Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas • Local Management

  13. Panama • Kuna Yala People have placed a ban for 5 years on turtle foraging even when they depend on these resource The ban last until november 19, 2011; but according to the resolution it might be extended if necessary.

  14. International Law

  15. Key: Ratified (R); Entry into Force (E); Signed (S)

  16. Significant International Agreements • CITES • CMS • Inter-American Convention On The Protection and Conservation Of Sea Turtles • CBD • Ramsar • DR-CAFTA

  17. Recommendations • Tripartite Agreement: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama; or if the case, bi-national agreement between CR and PTY due to their demonstrated will to comply with it • Work with local communities • Awareness: development industry and local communities • Implementation of regional management plans based on nesting and foraging sites • Take into account all applicable domestic, regional and international laws • Economical and ecological sea turtle value identified, measured and accounted to developed a base line for resource management and development.

  18. Questions...

More Related