Commercial trade in endangered species

1
Commercial trade in endangered species

• Man has always used products of animals and
  plants.
• Now many species become endangered.
• CITES was formed to save those species

2
Sea turtles

• Sea turtles are examples of the endangered
  species.
• They are cold-blooded animals that live only in
  the warmer parts of the world.
• They are highly migratory

3
Sea turtles species

• Scientists currently recognize 8 species of sea
  turtles world wide.
• Five species only are found in Egypt which are

Green Turtle
Loggerhead Turtle
Leatherback Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle
Olive ridley Turtle
4
Sea turtle are threatened

• Sea turtle species are declining in numbers and
  listed as endangered species by CITES.
• There are natural constrains in the life of Sea
  Turtles.
• Threats
• 
  
• 
  Natural Human-induced
• Predation
  3 main threats in Egypt
• 
  1)
  pollution
• 
  2)
  beach activities
• 
  3)
  commercial fishing

5
Threats to sea turtles

• Natural threats
• Different predators to the different stages of
  Sea Turtle

6

• Human induced threats
• 1- Beach activities
  
• 2- Pollution

7
3- Commercial fishing and trade

• The commercial trade in sea turtles is seen in
  Egypt, one of CITES signatory countries.
• Turtles have been continuously exploited in
  Egypt since pharonic times.
• They are sold in Egypt for their meat, blood and
  shells.

8
Sea turtles trade in Alexandria

• In Mediterranean Sea, 3 species of sea turtles
  occur Green, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles.
• Alexandria includes the most important fish
  markets of the sea-turtle trade in Egypt

9

• MEDASSET visited El-Anphoshi fish market to
  measure the exploration rate of sea turtles in
  this market.

Both Loggerhead and Green Turtles were seen on
display for sale, with the majority (about 85)
being Loggerhead.
10

• MEDASSET used a questionnaire for collecting data
  from a target group of people about
• Public awareness

25 from the 1st subgroup, 8.8 from the 2nd and
46.3 from the 3rd knew that the sea turtles are
an endangered species
11

• Law enforcement

26.6 from the 1st subgroup, 14.9 from the 2nd
and 8.8 from the 3rd knew that the sea turtle
trade is illegal according to the Egyptian law
12
Conclusion

• From this questionnaire, the sea turtle trade
  continues in the fish market of Alexandria due to
  lack of law enforcement in implementing the
  current national environmental law (law 4
  /1994, Act 28) and a lack of awareness of local
  people about the sea-turtle situation.

13
Conservation actions

• The role of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs
  Agency in controlling this trade.
• Public awareness campaigns to Bedouin in Sinai
  and to fishermen in Alexandria

14
Recommendations

• It is important to establish Protected Areas
  along the Mediterranean coast in the important
  areas for sea turtles to conserve them.
• Zaranik is a good example of a Protected Areas
  that has helped to save sea turtles.

15

• Zaranik is located in North Sinai and declared a
  protected area in 1985.
• Loggerhead and Green Turtles are known to breed
  in it.
• In Zaranik, a hatchery has been established to
  save sea turtles eggs.