Mortandad de tortuga caguama por pesca incidental

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Sr. Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto Estados Unidos Mexicanos PRESENTE

Distinguido Sr. Presidente Peña Nieto:

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Virginia, Estados Unidos de América, a 8 de junio del 2013.

Día Mundial de los Océanos.

Asunto: Mortandad de tortuga caguama por pesca incidental

Me permito escribirle como sudcaliforniano de nacimiento, Director Ejecutivo de la Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, director del Mason Center for Conservation Studies y Profesor Asociado en el Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Políticas de George Mason University, para externar preocupación en torno al problema de la captura incidental de tortuga amarilla del Pacífico Norte (Caretta caretta).

Su servidor cuenta con amplia experiencia en el tema. He trabajado con tortugas marinas desde 1990 en muchas partes del mundo y soy experto en salud y enfermedades de tortugas marinas. He dirigido un programa de conservación de tortugas marinas en EcoHealth Alliance (antes conocido como Wildlife Trust) en varios países. Recibí el grado de Médico Veterinario Zootecnista de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Maestro en Ciencias y Doctor en Filosofía de Colorado State University.

Los objetivos de uno de mis proyectos han sido evaluar la mortalidad regional de tortuga amarilla con monitoreos sistemáticos en Playa San Lázaro, B.C.S. (índice a largo plazo de 50 km playa) así como documentar todos los varamientos y colectar muestras de huesos, hígado, piel y contenido estomacal de carcajes. También trabajamos durante varios años con las tortugas amarillas para determinar su estado de salud a través de rodeos y captura de tortugas vivas tomando muestras de sangre, piel, lesiones incluyendo fibropapilomas e isopos cloacales, y orofaringeos con el fin de analizar su hematología, bioquímicas sanguíneas y análisis parasitarios.

Durante más de una década hemos trabajado con pescadores locales, oficiales de gobierno y otros expertos en conservación de tortugas amarillas e investigación participativa. Hemos empleado hasta 15 embarcaciones de los pescadores para evaluar y comparar la captura de peces dirigida y la captura incidental de tortugas. Todas estas investigaciones muestran que en Playa San Lázaro se presentan cifras exorbitantes de tortugas amarillas varadas (mas de 5000 tortugas varadas en una década que representa la cifra más alta documentada a nivel mundial).

Con todo el trabajo que tengo como investigador en el área, me he dado a la tarea de seguir el tema en los medios de comunicación, en particular he leído con atención los comunicados de prensa emitidos por Conapesca http://www.conapesca.sagarpa.gob.mx/wb/cona/05_de_mayo_de_2013_mazatlan_sin_ el 5 de mayo del presente así como el de la Presidencia de la República http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/articulos- prensa/fortalecen-acciones-para-la-conservacion-y-proteccion-de-la-tortuga-amarilla-en-bcs/ en donde se dice desconocer las causas de la mortalidad de la tortuga amarilla del Pacífico (Caretta caretta). También, he estado al tanto de las repentinas y diversas hipótesis que se han señalado como posibles causas de la mortandad, y del comité científico que recién se conformó para evaluarlas.

Al respecto quisiera expresarle con toda certeza que en -hasta la fecha no ha habido evidencia científica del efecto negativo de biotoxinas sobre las tortugas marinas-, y que el proponer nuevas hipótesis no hacen más que reafirmar que los gobiernos federal y estatal están ignorando años de investigaciones publicadas en revistas de referencia de alto impacto donde fue documentada la pesca incidental de tortugas amarillas como la principal causa de mortandad: Es lamentable que incluso se desconozca el mismo reporte del INAPESCA sobre sus investigaciones de artes de pesca el verano pasado en el sitio en mención.

Por lo anterior, me permito enviarle la lista de publicaciones y presentaciones profesionales que confirman mis puntos anteriores y en los cuales he participado con académicos como Susan Hayhurst Tufts University Cummings Veterinary School, Grafton MA USA (hematología y bioquímicas sanguíneas), Iga Stasiak University of Guelph Guelph Canada (patología, hematología, evaluaciones clínicas e histopatología), Mónica Ayala CICIMAR La Paz BCS Mexico (epibiontes de tortuga amarilla), Ruth Ochoa CICIMAR La Paz BCS Mexico (dieta de tortugas marinas), Natalia Rossi Columbia University New York NY USA (estado reproductivo y evaluaciones de salud), Maria Wochokowski Duke University Beaufort NC USA (interacciones pesqueras), Yosvani Moncada CIP La Habana Cuba (ecología de pastos y algas marinas), Carmen Valle UNAM Departamento de Ciencias Biomedicas (immunologia, salud y enfermedades), Eduardo Resendiz UNAM Departmento de Ecologia (salud, enfermedades y capacidad local de comunidades pesqueras), Hoyt Peckham Stanford University CA USA (pesca incidental), Kalyn Bickerman Columbia University New York USA (edad de tortugas amarillas usando esqueletocronologia), Cesar Ley, CIIDIR IPN Guasave Sinaloa (metales pesados en tortugas marinas), Alan Zavala Norzagaray CIIDIR IPN Guasave Sinaloa (ecología y manejo de tortugas en el noroeste de Mexico), Wallace J. Nichols, California Academy of Sciences CA USA (conservación y política ambiental) y Layne Bolen Pankratz George Mason University (ecología de pastos marinos y su relación con tortuga amarilla) entre otros.

Finalmente le solicito atentamente, en nombre de todos los científicos y estudiantes citados, que considere lo hecho, y nos ponemos a su disposición para ayudar en la búsqueda de soluciones al problema multicitado, en el entendido que en 2010 se desarrollaron a nivel piloto unas pruebas de artes de pesca alternativas a las redes de fondo, proyecto que desafortunadamente no contó con el apoyo gubernamental, a pesar de que participaron alrededor de 20 embarcaciones de los pescadores tradicionales que utilizan redes en la zona de las 23 brazas y al participar ese verano en el programa de pesca con líneas y anzuelos se logro que en ese año se redujera la tasa de varamientos hasta en un 60% con relación a los datos históricos.

Ciencia y resultados basados en colaboraciones solo muestran el camino a seguir. Sin más por el momento, esperando recibir su respuesta no dude en comunicarse conmigo, Atentamente

A. Alonso Aguirre D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D. Executive Director

cc. Ing. Juan José Guerra Abud, Titular de la SEMARNAT
Sr. Mario Aguilar Sánchez, Comisionado Nacional de CONAPESCA Mtro. Luis Fueyo Mac Donald, Titular de la CONANP
Sr. Marcos Covarrubias Villaseñor, Gobernador de Baja California Sur

Mr. Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto Mexican United States PRESENT

Dear Mr. President Peña Nieto:

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Virginia, United States of America, 8 June 2013.

World Oceans Day.

Subject: Loggerhead sea turtle mortality due to fisheries bycatch

Please allow me to write to you as a native of Baja California, Executive Director of the Smithsonian- Mason School of Conservation, Director of the Mason Center for Conservation Studies, and Associate Professor in the Environmental Sciences Department at George Mason University, to express my concern about the problems associated with the incidental capture of North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).

Over the past decades I have acquired much experience with this theme. I have worked with sea turtles since 1990 en many parts of the world and I am an expert in health of and diseases in sea turtles. I have directed a sea turtle conservation program at EcoHealth Alliance (formerly Wildlife Trust) in various countries. I received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico and Masters of Science and Doctorate degrees from Colorado State University.

The objective of one of my projects has been to evaluate the regional mortality of loggerhead sea turtles through systematic monitoring at Playa San Lázaro, B.C.S. (a 50 km-long beach), to document all strandings and collect samples of bone, liver, skin, and stomach contents from the carcasses. We have also worked for several years with live turtles captured at sea to determine their health status, taking blood samples, skin samples, oral and cloacal swabs, and investigating lesions, tumors like fibropapilloma with the goal of analyzing their hematology, plasma biochemistry and parasite loads.

For more than a decade we have worked collaboratively with local fishers, government officials, and other experts in the conservation and investigation of loggerhead turtles. We have employed as many as fifteen local fishing vessels to evaluate and compare various types of fishing gear relative to the incidental capture of sea turtles.

All of these investigations demonstrate that at Playa San Lázaro there are exorbitantly high numbers of stranded loggerhead turtles (more than 5000 turtles stranded in one decade representing the highest documented levels in the world).

With al of the work experience I have as a specialist in my area of expertise I have taken on the task of following the reports on this matter in the media, and I have read with particular attention the press releases issued on May 5th of this year by CONAPESCA http://www.conapesca.sagarpa.gob.mx/wb/cona/05_de_mayo_de_2013_mazatlan_sin_ as well as those from you http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/articulos-prensa/fortalecen-acciones-para-la-conservacion-y- proteccion-de-la-tortuga-amarilla-en-bcs/ in which it’s stated that the causes of mortality of the Pacific loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) are unknown. Also, I have also been aware of the various hypotheses that have been identified and proposed as possible causes of death, and that scientific committee recently was formed to evaluate them.

In regard to these reports I would like to express with absolute certainty that to date there has been no scientific evidence of the negative effect of biotoxins on these marine turtles. The proposed new hypotheses do nothing but reaffirm that federal and state governments are ignoring years of research published in high impact refereed journals which have documented fisheries bycatch of loggerheads as the main cause of death. It is unfortunate that even the government’s own reports on the research conducted by INAPESCA last summer at the site in question remain unmentioned.

In reference to the above shortcomings, I would like to send you the publications listed below, in which I participated with fellow academics along with professional presentations that confirm my previous points, including Susan Hayhurst Tufts University Cummings Veterinary School, Grafton MA USA (hematology y and blood biochemistry), Iga Stasiak University of Guelph Guelph Canada (pathology, hematology, clinical evaluations of histopathology), Mónica Ayala CICIMAR La Paz BCS Mexico (loggerhead turtle epibionts), Ruth Ochoa CICIMAR La Paz BCS Mexico (sea turtle diet), Natalia Rossi Columbia University New York NY USA (reproductive and health status), Maria Wochokowski Duke University Beaufort NC USA (fisheries interactions), Yosvani Moncada CIP La Habana Cuba (seagrass and algae ecology), Carmen Valle UNAM Departamento de Ciencias Biomedicas (immunology, health and disease), Eduardo Resendiz UNAM Departmento de Ecologia (health, disease and local fishing community capacity building), Hoyt Peckham Stanford University CA USA (fisheries bycatch), J. Wallace Nichols, California Academy of Sciences CA, USA (conservation and advocacy), Kalyn Bickerman Columbia University New York USA (use of skeletochronology to age loggerhead turtles), Cesar Ley CIIDIR IPN Guasave Sinaloa (heavy metals in sea turtles), Alan Zavala Norzagaray CIIDIR IPN Guasave Sinaloa (ecology and management of sea turtles in northwest Mexico), and Layne Bolen Pankratz George Mason University (seagrass ecology and its relation to loggerhead turtles) among others.

Finally I sincerely offer, on behalf of all of the scientists and students cited, that you please consider the vast amount and range of work that has already been completed as a solution is developed and consider that we are at your disposal to assist in finding solutions to the mentioned bycatch problem.

In summer 2010 we developed a pilot project to test alternative fishing gear to the problematic bottom-set nets. The project unfortunately did not receive government support, although it involved some 20 traditional fishing boats and local leaders, who previously used the high-impact nets and fished in the 23 fathom hotspot area. These fishers participated in the alternative program with lines and hooks and the results achieved in that year reduced stranding rates up to 60% compared to the historical data.

Collaborative, science and results-based, approaches like these offer the best path forward. Looking forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

A. Alonso Aguirre D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D. Executive Director

cc. Ing. Juan José Guerra Abud, Titular de la SEMARNAT
Sr. Mario Aguilar Sánchez, Comisionado Nacional de CONAPESCA Mtro. Luis Fueyo Mac Donald, Titular de la CONANP
Sr. Marcos Covarrubias Villaseñor, Gobernador de Baja California Sur

References

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Allen CD, Lemons GE, Eguchi T, LeRoux RA, Fahy CC, Dutton PH, Peckham SH, Seminoff JA (2013) Stable isotope analysis reveals migratory origin of loggerhead turtles in the Southern California Bight. MEPS 472: 275-285.

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