Collaborative work with fishers: a fundamental tool for sea turtle conservation in Argentina.

JONES, S.; PROSDOCIMI L.,; WILLIAMS J

Cartagena

Simposio; 41th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation.; 2023

ISTS

Argentina corresponds to the southernmost feeding and development area in the Southwest Atlantic for three species of sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea). The areas with high amounts of food for these species coincide with great anthropic pressure sites. This is because the oceanographic conditions of the zone favor the development of different fishing stocks, transforming them into important fishing grounds in the region. Although there are bycatch reports of these species in different fishing gears, the magnitude of the problem is unknown to date, given that the interactions occur in coastal vessels without observers on board. Collaborative work with fishers is a fundamental tool that not only broadens knowledge of a potential problem in the region, but also promotes favourable attitudes towards conservation actions for marine fauna. The goal of this work is to encourage the participation of the fishing sector in sea turtle conservation, to train them in species identification, and to involve them in the joint development for collaborative solutions for sea turtle good handling practices on-board. For this, graphic material was developed on the species present in Argentina: an identification sheet of species, with a clear and simple design to be carried on board, and educational posters with general information on sea turtles. Between October 2021 and June 2022, an outreach campaign was carried out in five important fishing sites in the province of Buenos Aires where: posters were distributed in key places (port facilities, headquarters of Prefectura Naval Argentina, National Fishing School, etc.), identification sheets were handed out to vessels, and fishers were trained in species identification. Graphic material was given to fisheries inspectors and made public on the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Nation to facilitate compliance with Resolution SAGYP 92/2021, which consists of reporting marine fauna bycatch in fishing reports. Five workshops were held, attended by people from the fishing sector (captains, sailors, port and government authorities) to address the problems associated with the activity and the sea turtle good handling practices on-board. Graphic material was widely accepted by the crew, which was reflected in the fact that the identification sheets of species were hung on their vessels, and also in their good predisposition to join in the conservation actions. The outreach campaigns and workshops have been a good opportunity to talk to the fishers and learn about the current actions taken with sea turtles on board. This allowed us to identify, prioritize and start working on those practices that need to be modified in order to increase the number of live turtles released into the sea. With all this knowledge we developed a good handling practices sheet to be carried on board of the vessels, together with the identification species sheets.