The equation that needs solving to determine if harvesting 

 at all stages allows enough survivals to a successive generation 

 would resemble the following: 



A. Number of Number of X Pj- e'(^l + Mj) Atj ©-(Fii + Mii)Atii 

 females = eggs 



surviving produced per 



to nest mature female ....e "(^V + My) Aty 



(Pp = proportion of eggs that become females) 



The eggs produced by these survivors may then be expressed by: 



B. Number of eggs = Number females X fecundity X nesting 

 produced in surviving to frequency 

 next generation nest 



It would be necessary then that: 



B > A, otherwise population decline would occur. 



One simplifying and conservative approach to management is 

 to manage in such a way that at least nesting stock size is 

 stabilized. With this being the minimum level of protection, the 

 next step is to manage so that nesting stock size increases. 

 Assuming that there is some optimum size for the nesting stock at 

 a given beach, it would follow that more nesters may have 

 detrimental effects on egg and hatchling production. In other 

 words, a stock-recruitment approach is suggested, whereby the 

 recruitment in question is that of nesting females. This 

 simplifying assumption of course becomes more realistic as F 

 decreases. 



Conclusion 



The research needs presented herein may at least provide a 

 framework for discussion among turtle biologists, resource 

 managers, and population modelers. Meeting these needs should 

 generate new approaches to field data collection, fill critical 

 information gaps, enable more realistic models to be developed 

 and enhance implementation of sound management strategies. 



Acknowledgments 



I wish to thank John Caddy, FAO Rome, for concepts leading 

 to development of the life history approach to modeling sea 

 turtle mortality due to fishing. Charles Caillouet, Jr. , 

 National Marine Fisheries Service in Galveston, Texas, provided 

 valuable management research recommendations and constructive 

 criticism. Clara Surber and Mollye Wenglar assisted with 

 manuscript preparation. 



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