the turtle The world’s most endangered species in the Pacific Ocean is the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea.) Nesting populations of eastern and western Pacific leatherbacks have declined by more than 90 percent in the last twenty years. In the 1950s, Malaysia hosted thousands of them nesting but in recent years, the numbers of confirmed nests collapsed to about 20. These turtles have a unique system of blood supply to their bones and cartilage. This enables their body temperature to stay several degrees above the water temperature and allows them to tolerate cold water, rather like a mammal. They can dive to depths of up to 1,200 m, much deeper than any other marine turtle.
The milli-
leatherback turtle probably has its origin more than 60 ons years ago. This is the largest living turtle and it has the widest geographical distribution of all reptiles. Its habitats extends from tropical nesting beaches and foraging grounds to areas in temperate waters, with some individuals even foraging in sub-polar waters. It is the diving champion amongst sea turtles, staying under as long as ½ - 1 hour. As a major jellyfish predator, it provides natural ecological control over jellyfish populations. Overabundance of jellyfish may reduce fish populations as jellyfish can feed on fish larvae and reduce population growth of commercially important fish. Hence, the presence of leatherback turtles benefits fish, fisheries and people.
The major threats The Bird’s Head Peninsula in Papua, Indonesia hosts the largest remaining leatherback population today. Even though nesting beaches occur throughout the Bird’s Head, the largest nesting area is on a 18-km of beach stretch called Jamursba Medi and a neighboring nesting site, Warmon. Important inter-nesting feeding grounds are found around the Kei Islands. The importance of Jamursbamedi and Warmon beaches for the survival of Pacific ic leatherback turtles was first discovered in the 80’s. © WWF-Indonesia
© WWF-Indonesia
Monitoring data of number of nests indicates that the leatherback populations are declining. A team of international experts joined the local conservation authority and WWF to find out what was causing this decline. Results from their satellite tracking research and aerial survey’s, showed that the leatherbacks that nest throughout the Bird’s Head, swim for thousands of miles crossing the Pacific. Some go west to Malaysia and Phillipines and many head east and get as far as the coast of California in the USA. The data also showed that some of the turtles move south to the Kei Islands for some extensive feeding. While crossing these oceans, they swim through the fishing grounds of an intensive tuna fishery.
Habitat loss In Papua, economic interests involving natural resource exploitation such as timber and mining, are increasing near the nesting beaches, and will potentially offer options that are more lucrative to local villagers, encouraging them to engage in activities that may be in conflict with conservation aims. Also, hinterland logging may cause beach erosion and the logs from logging ponds nearby, often wash ashore and obstruct access to the beach for the turtles.
Direct take The leatherback, locally known as Tabob, has been hunted in traditional fashion for generations from the Kei Islands in the Maluku for subsistence and ritual purposes. The hunting level was estimated to be as high as approximately 100 leatherbacks per season in 1999. Lack of protein resources from the forest, such as birds, deer and pigs and the increased population were most likely reasons for these high traditional take. Today, the critically endangered status of the Pacific leatherbacks requires the reduction of such intensive traditional practices.
© WWF-Indonesia
In the past, leatherback eggs at Jamursba Medi and Warmon beach were harvested by local villagers and collectors, who traveled by boat to the site, and sold the eggs elsewhere. Surveys suggest a 75% decline in nesting levels at Jamursbamedi by 1993 compared to those reported in 1984.
© Scott BENSON
© WWF-Indonesia
Did you know?
Indirect take Leatherback turtles are caught in long line fisheries, as they are known to favor the bait used to catch tuna and billfish. Also, leatherbacks get entangled in drift gillnets and have died from suffocation when plastic waste bags, looking like a juicy jelly fish, got stuck in their throat. In areas with intense coastal gill net fishing, they are caught trying to reach the beach.
© J NICHOLS
© WWF-Indonesia
Strategy Since 1993, WWF-Indonesia, in collaboration with the Department of Forestry and Nature Conservation (BKSDA) Sorong, works with communities to protect the nesting leatherbacks at Jamursbamedi; night patrols to protect adults coming to lay their eggs are conducted, and collection of information on nesting, predation and other nest disturbances are done with the villagers. The work at Warmon also aims at assessing the population status and threats, and conducting coastal patrols to prevent disturbance and exploitation on the beach. Further, WWF works with local communities to find alternative sources of income or food and collaborates with members of the fisheries industry to reduce turtle by-catch by training crew members on proper release of turtles from long line and initiating a gear trial to reduce the risk of getting turtles hooked.
Some recent successes
A new marine conservation area was declared by the district government of Sorong, on December 8, 2005 putting a total of more than 26,000 ha of critical nesting beach (including Jamursba Medi and Warmon), coastal waters and adjacent hinterland forest up to 8 km under formal protection. Community members of the villages in this area have also signed an agreement to protect the beaches against poaching. This has given the district government the opportunity to be actively involved in conservation management as well as community development at the buffer zones. The community leaders expressed their concerns on the needs for improved living conditions and education opportunities. In support of this, WWF facilitated a scholarship grant for community youth in exchange of protecting the nesting beach.
© WWF-Canon/ Roger LeGUEN
Technical and financial support from NOAA (Southwest Fisheries Science Center & Pacific Island Regional Office) and the Western Pacific Fisheries Regional Management Council (WPFRMC) has enabled WWF Indonesia to contribute significantly to scientific knowledge on leatherback ecology and interactions with fisheries but also to knowledge on critical sites for inter-nesting and nearby foraging habitats. Collaboration with the University of Papua (UNIPA) and the Indonesian Institute for Science and Technology (LIPI) on related research activities, such as studying genetic distribution patterns, adds further to the knowledge important for protecting the species.
A new partnership with fisheries stakeholders such as the local Fisheries Agency (DKP) and Fisheries Academy (APSOR) in Papua, was developed to implement an observer program for by-catch mitigation. Also, the National Fisheries Research Agency (BRPL PRPT) and the two most important tuna fisheries industry associations (ATLI and ASTUIN) have agreed to participate in a nation wide assessment of by-catch. They are involved in training crew to release turtles hooked in the gear and some members have agreed to test a different type of hook that possibly reduces turtle mortality from fisheries interactions. A Tri-National governmental partnership on conservation of leatherback turtles throughout the Western Pacific was signed on August 28, 2006. This marked a strong commitment to protection of the species in three countries – Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The Partnership plans to establish a network of marine protected areas covering a minimum critical area of habitats that supports Western Pacific Leatherback turtle conservation efforts across the Bismarck Solomon Seas.
© WWF-Indonesia
Challenges for the future – we need your help!
© WWF-Indonesia
WWF has been working on marine turtle conservation for more than 20 years and is today recognized as a leading organization for marine turtle conservation in Indonesia. To be most effective and have a real impact, we choose to have a very focused program rather than spread ourselves thin over many sites and many species. Over time we gained a lot of experience and knowledge on what works and what remains to be very difficult to achieve, even over a very long timeframe. While successes were booked, the extent of the threats and the growing human population continues to challenge us at different locations and with new stakeholders and law offenders. To tackle this, WWF is constantly improving and adjusting its influence, and now we ask for your support. Our goal and aim for the nearest future is that by 2011, at least the two known critical distinctive turtle populations (Leatherback and Green Turtles) in Indonesia, have their population stabilised or growing, are freed from overexploitation and their habitats are protected. Please join in!
Visit us at www.wwf.or.id or www.panda.org (WWF-International)