FOSTER; 



ROSS; 



which was built in the middle of a nesting beach 

 and cast light which disoriented hatchlings) . 



Artisanal fishing as a management option is a 

 gamble because we don't know stock size. Several 

 thousands of hawksbills are taken by harpooning, 

 etc. We can proceed with the information 

 available using best guesses to manage the 

 population. 



Since you allow the taking of eggs, do you then 

 manage the remainder? 



We have lots of turtles and are letting nature 

 take its course. 



MROSOVSKY: 



ROSS; 



RUIZ; 



At Azira you had a 60% loss of eggs. Why don't 

 you do something about that? 



The volume of nesting beaches precludes any 

 logical action. Eggs are measured in metric tons; 

 we have so many, we are letting nature take its 

 course. I'm not suggesting that these methods 

 would be appropriate everywhere. 



Eastern Pacific Olive Ridley; These comments are 

 personal, as I do not represent Mexico at WATS II. 

 In the American Pacific we have the second largest 

 nesting in the world after Orissa, India. 

 Extremely high numbers of turtles nest in 

 arribadas in many locations. The species is very 

 vulnerable and some populations have already 

 collapsed. We have learned migratory routes and 

 have learned that olive ridleys are a very 

 migratory species, nesting in Mexico and feeding 

 in Ecuadorian waters. They are a very gregarious 

 species and are easy prey, thus they are subjected 

 to intense capture and are traded extensively. 



Playa Escobilla produces 7.5 million hatchlings, 

 more than all other beaches combined. There is 

 evidence that Costa Rican and Mexican turtles are 

 going to Ecuador. In Mexico, management focuses 

 on eggs. The Ostional nesting beaches have put a 

 very interesting egg management plan into effect; 

 this will be talked about tomorrow. It contains 

 all the aspects of proper conservation. 



I would like to close by reiterating a point made 

 earlier that the only thing non-negotiable is the 

 biological reality of the species. 



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