Poaching & Green Sea Turtles

Background Information

• Species: Mydas; Population: 22,500 females nest per season
• Poaching has reduced the green sea turtle population. Up to 50% of the green sea turtle eggs are poached-- making them an endangered species.
• Costa Rica

Background Information cont.

• Adult and juvenile green turtles live are generally found nearshore as well as in bays and lagoons, on reefs, and especially in areas with seagrass beds
• Yellow Tangs & Green Sea Turtles have a mutualistic relationship
• Barnacles & Green Sea Turtles have a parasitic relationship

Migration Patterns

Negative Impacts

• Anthropogenic Threats: fishing gear entanglement; illegal trade of eggs, meat, and shells; global warming; ocean pollution; plastic and other debris in the ocean
• Environmental Threats: predators (raccoons, crabs, ants, birds, and sharks)

Negative Impacts cont.

• 4,600 green sea turtles are killed every year (which is a 90% reduction from before sea turtle conservational measures took place)
• Not only is it difficult for green sea turtles to survive, only 1% reach sexual maturity due to the natural and human threats they face

Hatchlings of Green Sea Turtles

Positive Impacts

• All green turtle populations are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act
• The Endangered Species Act- The listing of a species as endangered makes it illegal for any person under U.S. jurisdiction to "take" that species, meaning harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or attempt to harm a species...

Positive Impacts cont.

• ... It is also illegal to import, export, or transport and sell endangered species
• The Green Sea Turtles being placed under this act is benfical due to the fact that harming or killing them is illegal, but it still doesn't completely prevent them from being hurt

Plan

• Costa Rica has several areas where the turtles return to lay their eggs
• The biggest threat are egg thieves
• During these hatching times, Costa Rica should acquire volenteers to watch over the eggs
• This project would be free
• The only requirements would be these volenteers

Works Cited

• “Beach Survey Totals.” Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission.
• “Information About Sea Turtles: Threats to Sea Turtles – Sea Turtle Conservancy.” Sea Turtle Conservancy.
• Main, Douglas. “Illegal Sea Turtle Egg Poaching on the Rise in Costa Rica.” Scientific American, 20 May 2013.
• Noaa. “Green Turtle.” NOAA Fisheries.
• “Sea Turtle Threats.” SEE Turtles.
• “Sea Turtles Profile.” Poaching Facts, 30 Apr. 2016.