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<DIV class=articleTitle>
<DIV id=publishedOnlineDate><STRONG>Journal of Applied Ecology</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV>Article first published online: 19 JUL 2011</DIV>
<DIV id=doi>DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02040.x</DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=articleTitle> </DIV>
<DIV class=articleTitle><FONT size=4>Small-scale fisheries of Peru: a major sink
for marine turtles in the Pacific</FONT></DIV>
<DIV id=cr1>Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto<SUP>1,2</SUP>, Jeffrey C.
Mangel<SUP>1,2</SUP>, Francisco Bernedo<SUP>2</SUP>, Peter H.
Dutton<SUP>3</SUP>, Jeffrey A. Seminoff<SUP>3</SUP>, Brendan J.
Godley<SUP>1,*</SUP></DIV>
<DIV id=publishedOnlineDate><SUP>1</SUP> Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre
for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn,
Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK<SUP>2</SUP> Pro Delphinus, Octavio Bernal 572-5, Lima 11,
Peru<SUP>3</SUP> NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries
Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
*Correspondence: Brendan J. Godley, E-mail: <!--TODO: clickthrough URL--><A title="Link to email address"
href="mailto:b.j.godley@exeter.ac.uk" shape=rect><FONT
color=#007e8a>b.j.godley@exeter.ac.uk</FONT></A></DIV>
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<DIV id=additionalInformation>
<DIV style="CLEAR: left">
<UL class="" id=footnotes><FONT color=#007e8a></FONT></UL>
<DIV id=publicationHistoryDetails jQuery1311638077047="10">
<H4>Summary</H4></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<DIV id=fulltext xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<DIV id=abstract>
<DIV class=para>
<P><B>1.</B> Over the last few decades, evidence of marine vertebrate bycatch
has been collected for a range of industrial fisheries. It has recently been
acknowledged that large impacts may also result from similar interactions with
small-scale fisheries (SSF) due largely to their diffuse effort and large number
of vessels in operation. Marine mammals, seabirds, turtles as well as some shark
species have been reported as being impacted by SSF worldwide.</P></DIV>
<DIV class=para>
<P><B>2.</B> From 2000 to 2007, we used both shore-based and onboard observer
programmes from three SSF ports in Peru to assess the impact on marine turtles
of small-scale longline, bottom set nets and driftnet fisheries.</P></DIV>
<DIV class=para>
<P><B>3.</B> We reported a total of 807 sea turtles captured, 91·8% of which
were released alive. For these three sites alone, we estimated <EM>c.</EM> 5900
turtles captured annually (3200 loggerhead turtles <EM>Caretta caretta</EM>,
2400 green turtles <EM>Chelonia mydas</EM>, 240 olive ridleys <EM>Lepidochelys
olivacea</EM> and 70 leatherback turtles <EM>Dermochelys
coriacea</EM>).</P></DIV>
<DIV class=para>
<P><B>4.</B> SSF in Peru are widespread and numerous (>100 ports, >9500
vessels, >37 000 fishers), and our observed effort constituted
<EM>c.</EM> 1% of longline and net deployments. We suggest that the number of
turtles captured per year is likely to be in the tens of thousands. Thus, the
impacts of Peruvian SSF have the potential to severely impact sea turtles in the
Pacific especially green, loggerhead and leatherback turtles.</P></DIV>
<DIV class=para>
<P><B>5.</B> Implications of the human use of turtle products as ‘marine
bushmeat’ are also raised as an important issue. Although such utilization is
illegal, it is difficult to foresee how it can be managed without addressing the
constraints to the livelihoods of those depending almost entirely on coastal
resources.</P></DIV>
<DIV class=para>
<P><B>6.</B> <EM>Syntheses and applications</EM>. Our analysis demonstrates
that, despite logistical challenges, it is feasible to estimate the bycatch per
unit of effort in SSF by combining methods that account for fishing effort and
bycatch, such as using onboard and shore-based observers. We highlight sea
turtle bycatch in SSF in the southeast Pacific as a major conservation concern
but also suggest possible paths for
mitigation.</P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>