Marine turtle conservation under CITES ----

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Marine turtle conservation under CITES
---- CAFS research focus
U.S.-China Meeting on Living Marine Resources
Sea Turtle Workshop

• Thanks for
• 1. SeaWorld/Busch GardenANIMALS
  ,http//www.seaworld.org
• 2. SWOT,http//www.seaturtlestatus.org/

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INDEX

• Overview
• Legal Protection
• Sea turtles under CITES
• Awareness and suggestions

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Taxonomy
Overview
Source of data http//www.seaworld.org
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Distribution
Overview
http//www.seaworld.org
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Distribution
Overview
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Distribution
Overview
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Efforts from the World
Overview

• Establishing and strengthening protected areas
  around nesting beaches
• Raising awareness and promoting ecotourism at
  marine turtle sites
• Local communities involved in and benefit from
  protecting turtles and their nests
• Promoting regional and international agreements
  to conserve marine turtles
• Lobbying for turtle-friendly fishing practices,
  such as the use of turtle excluder devices in
  nets
• Halting the illegal trade of turtle meat and
  eggs, through TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade
  monitoring network created by WWF and IUCN

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Legal Protection
Convention on International Trade of
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) 
CITES is an international treaty,
developed in 1973, to regulate trade in certain
wildlife species. CITES Appendix I includes
species identified as endangered (species faces a
very high risk of extinction). Most
efficient convention  Give more concern
on marine species in recent year Some
special Methology is on design (IFS, F )
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Legal Protection
Appendices II
Appendices I
Cheloniidae
Cheloniidae spp .
Caretta caretta
Chelonia mydas -103
Eretmochelys imbricata
Lepidochelys kempii
Lepidochelys
olvacea Dermochelyidae Dermochelys coriacea
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Legal Protection
China is not party member, but with MOU signatory
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Legal Protection
Appendices I
Appendices II
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Legal Protection
International Union for the Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources
The organization links together
government agencies, non-government agencies, and
independent states to encourage a worldwide
approach to conservation.
Hawksbill turtles critically
endangered Kemp's ridley turtles
critically endangered Leatherback turtle
critically Endangered Green
turtles endangered Loggerhead turtles
endangered Olive ridley turtles
endangered Flatback turtles data
Deficient
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Legal Protection
USA
Endangered Species Act, 1973 (ESA).

• The Endangered Species Act of 1973
  (ESA) is administered by the U.S. Departments of
  Interior and Commerce. It seeks to stop the
  extinction of wild animals and plants in the
  United States, other nations, and at sea. All sea
  turtles except the flatback are listed as
  threatened or endangered on the U.S. Endangered
  and Threatened Wildlife and Plants List. It is
  illegal to harm, or in any way interfere with, a
  sea turtle or its eggs.
• 1.Under the ESA, "endangered"
• Hawksbill
• Kemp's ridley
• Leatherback
• Populations of green sea turtles
  (along Florida and the Pacific coast of Mexico),
• Breeding populations of olive
  ridleys (on the Pacific coast of Mexico)
• 2.Under the ESA, "threatened"
• The loggerhead, green (except the
  populations listed above)
• Olive ridley (except the
  populations listed above

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Legal Protection
China
Framework of laws in Chinese Fisheries

• Law on the protection of Wildlife, Peoples
  Republic of China(1988)
• Environmental Protection Law, People's Republic
  of China (1989)
• Marine Environment Protection Law of the
  People's Republic of China (1982, amended in
  1999)
• Law of Fisheries, Peoples Republic of China,
  (1986, amended in 2000).
• Law of The Water Pollution Prevention and
  Control, People's Republic of China (1984,
  amended in 1996)

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Regulations on Aquatic wildlife conservation
Legal Protection
China
National level Regulation on Fishing
permission(2002, amended in 2004)
----Classifcation of the fishing boats and
fishing grounds ----Control of
Marine Fishing Vessels fishing gear in catch
limits ----Fishing license system
----Duties for Signatory Regional
Level Stipulation for Conserving Living
Aquatic Resources In Bohai Sea(2004)
----Aquaculture and fishing
----Enhancement on Living Aquatic resource
----Living aquatic resource conservation
----Eco-environment Protection
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Legal Protection
China
Regulations on Aquatic Endangered Species
Conservation

• The National Catalog of Protected Wildlife in
  Peoples Republic of China(1989)
• Implemental Regulation on Aquatic wildlife
  Protection, Peoples Republic of China (1993)
• Ordinance on the management of the natural
  reserve, peoples Republic of China(1994)
• Regulation on management of Aquatic wildlife and
  Plant Nature Conservation, Peoples Republic of
  China (1997)
• Regulation on special license of Aquatic
  wildlife utilization, Peoples Republic of China
  (1999)

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Sea turtles under Cites
In recognition of the global plight,
sea turtles were among the list species listed on
the CITES Appendices when the treaty came into
force, and CITES protection over the past 35
years has been critical to ensuring their
survival. Formidable opposition From some CITES
Parties to all attempts to weaken sea turtle
protection and effort from the conservation
community have been key to maintaining the
international ban on trade.
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Appendices I and II, as at 4 February 1977
Sea turtles under Cites
Appendices II
Appendices I
Cheloniidae

Cheloniidae spp .
Caretta caretta
Chelonia mydas -103

Eretmochelys imbricata
Lepidochelys kempii
Lepidochelys
olvacea Dermochelyidae
Dermochelys coriacea
Third meeting of the Conference of the
PartiesNew Delhi (India), 25 February 8 March
1981
Appendices I
Cheloniidae

Cheloniidae spp . Dermochelyidae

Dermochelys coriacea
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Sea turtles under CITES
Commodity term in trading under CITES (hawksbill
turtle )
No Commodity term No Commodity term No Commodity term No Commodity term
1 bodies 8 eggs 15 leather products (s) 22 shells
2 bone pieces 9 feet 16 live 23 skeletons
3 bone products 10 garments 17 meat 24 skins
4 bones 11 handbags 18 oil 25 skin pieces
5 carapaces 12 ivory carvings 19 pairs of shoes 26 specimens
6 carvings 13 ivory pieces 20 pieces 27 trophies
7 derivatives 14 leather items 21 scales 28 unspecified
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Sea turtles under CITES
Sea turtle Trading Record
Taxon Tradving voloume (KG) Tradving voloume (KG) Tradving voloume (KG) Tradving voloume (KG) Tradving voloume (KG) Tradving voloume (KG) Tradving voloume (KG)
Taxon 1976-1980 1981-1985 1986-1990 1991-1995 1996-2000 2001-2005 2006-2010
hawksbill
green
loggerhead 0 0 0
olive ridley 0 0 0 0 0 0
leatherback 0 0 0
flatback 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1.Data is from CITES database 2. Based on
Unquestionable data analysis
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Sea turtles under CITES
Term green hawksbill
meat -
soup -
skins
leather products
specimens
carapaces
bodies
carvings
pieces
calipee -
unspecified
oil -
eggs (live)
scales -
Trading analysis between Green turle and
Hawksbill turtle
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Sea turtles under CITES
Trading analysis between China and US
Term hawksbill hawksbill green green olive ridley olive ridley loggerhead loggerhead
Term china US china US china US
meat
skin,skin pieces
carvings
carapaces
specimens
unspecified
live
leather items
eggs
oil
bodies
shells
1.Data is from CITES database 2. US green turtle
trading most happened in 1979, for olive ridley
and loggerhead in 1980s.
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Awareness and suggestions
Awareness
1.Lots of efforts, recognition worldwide (US and
China) 2.International trading is still on
going 3. Sea turtle meat and eggs are consumed in
some parties(3/4) 4. Negative impact from
destructive fishery and fishing by catch
(explosion, poison gillnet, trail net, trawl) 5.
Sea turtle conservation strategy should be
improved in member Parties 6. International
cooperation are encouraged (Inter government
organization, NGO) 7. More funding required.
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Awareness and suggestions
Suggestions
Conservation in china 1. Conservation Action
plan for sea turtle 2. Basic scientific data
collecting (research, monitoring) (fishery,
population, trading) 3. More involvement in
international cooperation Research work in
CAFS 1. Included in fishery research concern 2.
Listed in Sino-US cooperation framework 3. More
focus needed ( natural reserve and habitat,
natural resource and distribution, policy,
market trading
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Thank You!