The Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Tutles - MEDASSET Research projects

WWF / Italy, BLUE OASIS Seminar, 11 - 15.06.1997, Napoli, Gaeta, Ustica

The Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles - MEDASSET

RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (1990-1995).

Lily Venizelos, President MEDASSET MEDASSET, 1C Licavitou Str., 106 72 Athens, GREECE

One of MEDASSET’s prime objectives is a concerted effort to survey the remaining coastal areas of the Mediterranean which have yet to be assessed for sea turtle activity. We wish to identify any sea turtle (Loggerhead, Caretta caretta, and Green, Chelonia mydas) presence in these areas. The specific ecology of each coastal region is logged, as turtles cannot be successfully protected unless all their reproductive habitats are known. Recommendations for implementation of protective measures are made to the states involved if any important ecosystems or turtle nesting sites are found, and follow-up efforts for the implementation of protective legislation and conservation efforts are instigated.

A. The coastal area of the North Aegean Sea, mainland and islands, totalling 2,000 km was surveyed by MEDASSET in 1991 (Co-funded by the EC). Beach types and accompanying dunes were documented and coastal pollution assessed. No significant turtle nesting was found in the region, probably due to unfavourable climatic conditions in the North of the Mediterranean. However, a large non-nesting population was present at sea.

B. Nesting site and sand dune assessment in Sardinia, covering 750 km of coast, with emphasis on the Gulf of Orosei was undertaken in 1990 and 1991 by MEDASSET (Co-funded by the EC). The reported exploitation of marine turtles was also investigated. Turtle nesting in the Western Mediterranean is almost non-existent nowadays. The aim of the project was to discover whether Sardinia was a final nesting possibility in this area of the Mediterranean. However, tourism had almost completely overrun the beaches making nesting almost impossible. A continuing presence of adult and subadult Loggerheads off shore was confirmed but no evidence of turtle nesting was found.

C. The first ever survey of Syria’s 200 km coast was undertaken in 1991

by MEDASSET (Co-funded by HCI/UK and MEDASSET), investigating the possible occurrence of nesting sea turtles. The Syrian Coast was possibly the most polluted in the Mediterranean, with plastic waste covering much of the beach splash zone, and raw sewage being piped directly into the sea. Despite this a turtle nesting presence was discovered. Indeed one beach, between Jeble and Latakia, was found to contain a concentration of nesting activity but all nests had suffered from complete predation, probably due to humans.

Protection of this beach region from tourist or industrial development is recommended.

D. In 1993, Phase I of a survey of the Egyptian Mediterranean coast, from Alexandria to EI Salum on the Syrian border, was completed by MEDASSET (Co-financed by MEDASSET, RAC/SPA/Tunisia and with the support and collaboration of NIOF Alexandria). This 600 km of coast was documented according to its physical and biological characteristics.

Loggerhead turtles were found to nest there in small numbers. This was the first documented occurrence of marine turtles nesting in this area. Pollution was rife in some localities and tourist development is progressing rapidly, both are threatening to destroy some ecologically unique and important coastal regions.

E. The sixth year of an on going assessment of the incidental catches of Loggerhead turtles on swordfish long lines in the Greek Ionian sea was completed in 1994 (Co-financed by GAWF/UK, MEDASSET and Archipelagos). The Archipelagos project was in collaboration with the captains of up to eight vessels based on the island of Kefalonia. Turtles were caught on 25% of the fishing trips. Most commonly, one turtle was caught per long line but up to three have been recorded. The majority of turtles caught were juveniles (less than 75 cm long). Vital size, sex and capture location data of the turtles has been recorded by the fishermen. The turtles were returned to the sea, invariably alive, with hooks still in their mouths. This project has been the trigger for a positive attitude towards the turtles by the otherwise impartial captains.

F. In 1995, 743 Kms out of the 1195 Kms of the Libyan coastline between the Egyptian border and Sirte, were assessed by sampling 50 beaches totalling 141.65 Kms. Organised by RAC/SPA -MAP-UNEP and funded by MBRC (Tajura, Libya), MEDASSET, TCEP (Tripoli, Libya), RAC/SPA -MAPUNEP, and WWF International. This was the first survey outside the Kouf National Park (H.H.Schleich, 1983). Here the search for sea turtles was successful, ground surveys recorded sea turtle nesting activity, measured crawl densities allowed an estimate of the total number of nests in Libya, and threats linked to fisheries expansion and other anthropogenic factors were noted. The most important Caretta nesting beaches found were at Oum el Frais, Ras el Aweija, East Sirte, and N. Bengazi. Based on the findings Chelonia nesting in Libya is improbable. 342 crawls were recorded, of which 122 were successful nesting crawls. Assuming a crawl track life of 7 days and the nesting observed to be typical, then it can be deduced that a total of nests for Libya in 1995 may be as high as 9000. It is possible therefore that Libya has the largest loggerhead nesting population in the Mediterranean, and the third largest in the world after those of Oman and the United States. For predated and live turtles found the average curved carapace length was 78.05 cms. Nest predation in Libya was found to be high and attributable to carnivores and sand crabs. Two nesting females were found killed, probably

by Jackals. Incidental catch by fishermen, and human predation is low, largely due to the undeveloped state of the fishing industry and the fact that the beaches of Libya are out of bounds to the population, human density along the coast is negligible, and tourism nonexistent. In view of the unspoiled state of the Libyan coastline and its importance to the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, the Libyan Government should be encouraged, with the

Ministry of Tourism, to develop a conservation strategy in collaboration with the local authorities and those involved in the research. Public awareness should be encouraged, especially the potential future fishing industry, to promote the need for protecting the biodiversity of the area in general, and specifically, the nesting beaches of the sea turtles.

References: - KASPAREK M. 1991. Marine Turtles in Greece. Results of a Survey of Potential Nesting Beaches in the Northern Aegean. 160 pp. Unpubl. Report.

Available from MEDASSET. - KASPAREK M. 1993. Marine Turtle Conservation in the Mediterranean: Marine Turtles in Egypt. Survey of the Mediterranean Coast Between Alexandria and El Salum. Phase I. 74 pp. Unpubl. Report. Available from MEDASSET. - KASPAREK M. 1994. Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean: Marine Turtles in Syria. Survey of the Syrian Coast. 20 pp. Unpubl. Report. Available from MEDASSET. - LAURENT L.,M.N. Bradai, D.A. Hadoud & H.E. Gomati, 1995. Marine Turtles Nesting Activity Assessment on Libyan Coasts. Phase I: Survey of the Coast between the Egyptian Border and Sirte. Joint project of: MBRC (Tajura, Libya), MEDASSET, RAC/SPA (MAP-UNEP), TCEP (Tripoli), WWF International. Unpubl. Report. Available from MEDASSET. - PANOU A., ANTYPAS G., GIANNOPOULOS Y., MOURELATOS D., CH. & G., MOSCHONAS S., TOUMAZATOS P., TSELENTIS L., VOUTSINAS N. & VOUTSINAS V., 1992. Incidental catches of Loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, on Swordfish Long Lines in the Ionian Sea, Greece. B.C.G. Testudo 3(4) 47-57. Available from MEDASSET. - PANOU A. et al. 1989/90/91/93/95. Incidental catches of Loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, on Swordfish Long Lines in the Ionian Sea, Greece. Unpubl.

Reports. Available from MEDASSET. - SCHLEICH H.H., 1987. Contributions to the Herpetology of Kouf National Park (NE-Libya) and Adjacent Areas. Spixiana 10(1):37-80.

- WITMORE C., JESU R. and REYNOLDS P., 1991, Sardinia. An Assessment of Beaches for Loggerhead Turtle Nesting. Unpubl. Report. Available from MEDASSET.