. . . Sea Turtles 



110 



Figure 24-1.— Number of nesting 

 females of Kemp's ridley sea 

 turtles, 1945 and 1978-89. 



SPECIES AND STATUS 



number of juvenile and subadult turtles in 

 Florida's inshore waters has recently re- 

 turned to historic levels. There are no his- 

 torical estimates for the numbers of 

 hawksbill or leatherback turtles nesting on 

 U.S. Caribbean beaches. The hawksbill has 

 been heavily exploited, and continued 

 trade of products from this species sug- 

 gests that further declines are possible. The 

 trend over time of the leatherback turtle in 

 U.S. waters is unknown. 



Since 1 973, Hawaiian surveys of nesting 

 green turtles indicate that the adult popu- 

 lation may currently number about 2,000 



and that it is gradually increasing. No ac- 

 curate historical record of green turtle pop- 

 ulations exists. Despite an apparent 

 increase in the nesting population, there is 

 growing concern that fibropapilloma dis- 

 ease, which has infected green turtles of all 

 ages in many inshore feeding and resting 

 areas, may seriously curtail population re- 

 covery. The Hawaiian hawksbill turtle pop- 

 ulation is very small; only 12-15 nests are 

 recorded each year. In Hawaii, little is 

 known of the species' reproductive biology 

 or population trends. 



ISSUES 



In the North Pacific there are concerns 

 about sea turtle deaths in the high-seas 

 driftnet fisheries. Turtle bycatch rates are 

 being monitored on driftnet vessels by 

 U.S., Canadian, Japanese, Korean, and 

 Taiwanese scientific observers. The effect 

 of these driftnet fisheries on U.S. sea turtle 

 populations is unknown. Turtles are also 

 killed when accidentally caught in other 

 fisheries. As many as 10,000 sea turtles 

 may be taken annually in shrimp trawls. 

 Turtle excluder devices (TED's) have been 

 developed and, when attached to shrimp 

 trawls, enhance turtle safety by releasing 

 them. TED's reduce the turtle kill by 

 shrimp trawls by 97%, and their use is 



mandated for certain shrimp fishing areas. 

 Studies indicate that the use of TED's has 

 reduced shrimp catches only about 5-15%. 

 Shrimpers are concerned about reduced 

 income owing to lower shrimp catches. 



Sea turtles are fully protected in U.S. 

 waters, but their habitats continue to be 

 hurt. Coastal development is reducing 

 nesting, nursery, and foraging habitats. 

 Floating tar balls and plastics, if eaten, can 

 harm or kill sea turtles. The magnitude of 

 these problems is not fully known, but they 

 occur worldwide, and international cooper- 

 ation for marine turtle protection and re- 

 covery is needed. 



