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Sr. Presidente Enrique PenÌÂÂa Nieto Estados Unidos Mexicanos PRESENTE
Distinguido Sr. Presidente PenÌÂÂa Nieto:
Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation
Virginia, Estados Unidos de AmeÌÂÂrica, a 8 de junio del 2013.
DiÌÂÂa Mundial de los OceÌÂÂanos.
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 PoliÌÂÂticas de George Mason University, para externar preocupacioÌÂÂn en torno al problema de la captura incidental de tortuga amarilla del PaciÌÂÂfico 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 conservacioÌÂÂn de tortugas marinas en EcoHealth Alliance (antes conocido como Wildlife Trust) en varios paiÌÂÂses. RecibiÌÂÂ el grado de MeÌÂÂdico Veterinario Zootecnista de la Universidad AutoÌÂÂnoma del Estado de MeÌÂÂxico, Maestro en Ciencias y Doctor en FilosofiÌÂÂa de Colorado State University.
Los objetivos de uno de mis proyectos han sido evaluar la mortalidad regional de tortuga amarilla con monitoreos sistemaÌÂÂticos en Playa San LaÌÂÂzaro, B.C.S. (iÌÂÂndice a largo plazo de 50 km playa) asiÌÂÂ como documentar todos los varamientos y colectar muestras de huesos, hiÌÂÂgado, piel y contenido estomacal de carcajes. TambieÌÂÂn trabajamos durante varios anÌÂÂos con las tortugas amarillas para determinar su estado de salud a traveÌÂÂs 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 hematologiÌÂÂa, bioquiÌÂÂmicas sanguiÌÂÂneas y anaÌÂÂlisis parasitarios.
Durante maÌÂÂs de una deÌÂÂcada hemos trabajado con pescadores locales, oficiales de gobierno y otros expertos en conservacioÌÂÂn de tortugas amarillas e investigacioÌÂÂn 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 LaÌÂÂzaro se presentan cifras exorbitantes de tortugas amarillas varadas (mas de 5000 tortugas varadas en una deÌÂÂcada que representa la cifra maÌÂÂs alta documentada a nivel mundial).
Con todo el trabajo que tengo como investigador en el aÌÂÂrea, me he dado a la tarea de seguir el tema en los medios de comunicacioÌÂÂn, en particular he leiÌÂÂdo con atencioÌÂÂn 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 asiÌÂÂ como el de la Presidencia de la RepuÌÂÂblica 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 PaciÌÂÂfico (Caretta caretta). TambieÌÂÂn, he estado al tanto de las repentinas y diversas hipoÌÂÂtesis que se han senÌÂÂalado como posibles causas de la mortandad, y del comiteÌÂÂ cientiÌÂÂfico que recieÌÂÂn se conformoÌÂÂ para evaluarlas.
Al respecto quisiera expresarle con toda certeza que en -hasta la fecha no ha habido evidencia cientiÌÂÂfica del efecto negativo de biotoxinas sobre las tortugas marinas-, y que el proponer nuevas hipoÌÂÂtesis no hacen maÌÂÂs que reafirmar que los gobiernos federal y estatal estaÌÂÂn ignorando anÌÂÂos 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 mencioÌÂÂn.
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 acadeÌÂÂmicos como Susan Hayhurst Tufts University Cummings Veterinary School, Grafton MA USA (hematologiÌÂÂa y bioquiÌÂÂmicas sanguiÌÂÂneas), Iga Stasiak University of Guelph Guelph Canada (patologiÌÂÂa, hematologiÌÂÂa, evaluaciones cliÌÂÂnicas e histopatologiÌÂÂa), MoÌÂÂnica 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 (ecologiÌÂÂa 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 (ecologiÌÂÂa y manejo de tortugas en el noroeste de Mexico), Wallace J. Nichols, California Academy of Sciences CA USA (conservacioÌÂÂn y poliÌÂÂtica ambiental) y Layne Bolen Pankratz George Mason University (ecologiÌÂÂa de pastos marinos y su relacioÌÂÂn con tortuga amarilla) entre otros.
Finalmente le solicito atentamente, en nombre de todos los cientiÌÂÂficos y estudiantes citados, que considere lo hecho, y nos ponemos a su disposicioÌÂÂn para ayudar en la buÌÂÂsqueda 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 contoÌÂÂ 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 liÌÂÂneas y anzuelos se logro que en ese anÌÂÂo se redujera la tasa de varamientos hasta en un 60% con relacioÌÂÂn a los datos histoÌÂÂricos.
Ciencia y resultados basados en colaboraciones solo muestran el camino a seguir. Sin maÌÂÂs 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 JoseÌÂÂ Guerra Abud, Titular de la SEMARNAT
Sr. Mario Aguilar SaÌÂÂnchez, Comisionado Nacional de CONAPESCA Mtro. Luis Fueyo Mac Donald, Titular de la CONANP
Sr. Marcos Covarrubias VillasenÌÂÂor, Gobernador de Baja California Sur
ENGLISH:
Mr. Presidente Enrique PenÌÂÂa Nieto Mexican United States PRESENT
Dear Mr. President PenÌÂÂa 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 LaÌÂÂzaro, 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 LaÌÂÂzaro 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), MoÌÂÂnica 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 JoseÌÂÂ Guerra Abud, Titular de la SEMARNAT
Sr. Mario Aguilar SaÌÂÂnchez, Comisionado Nacional de CONAPESCA Mtro. Luis Fueyo Mac Donald, Titular de la CONANP
Sr. Marcos Covarrubias VillasenÌÂÂor, Gobernador de Baja California Sur
References
Aguirre, AA, H Peckham, I Stasiak, S Hayhurst, V de la Toba, A Zavala-Norzagaray, N Rossi, and TR Spraker. (2011). Baseline health parameters of clinically healthy and pathological evaluation of stranded pacific loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) impacted by small-scale fisheries in Baja California Sur, Mexico. 31st Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: The Next Generation of Research and Conservation, 12-15 April, San Diego, California.
Aguirre AA, SC Gardner, JC.Marsh, SG Delgado, CJ Limpus and WJ Nichols. (2006). Hazards associated with the consumption of sea turtle meat and eggs: a review for health care workers and the general public. EcoHealth 3(3):141-153.
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.
Conant TA, Dutton PH, Eguchi T, Epperly SP, Fahy CC, Godfrey MH, MacPherson SL, Possardt EE, Schroeder BA, Seminoff JA (2009) Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) 2009 status review under the US Endangered Species Act. Report of the Biological Review Team to the National Marine Fisheries Service
Gardner SC, Nichols WJ (2001) Assessment of sea turtle mortality rates in the BahiÌÂÂa Magdalena region, Baja California Sur, MeÌÂÂxico. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4: 197-199
Gilman E, Gearhart J, Price B, Eckert S, Milliken H, Wang J, Swimmer Y, Shiode D, Abe O, Peckham SH (2009) Mitigating sea turtle by-catch in coastal passive net fisheries. Fish and Fisheries doi 10.1111/j.1467- 2979.2009.00342.x
INAPESCA (2012) Evaluacion biotecnologica de artes de pesca alternativas en la pesqueria riberenÌÂÂa del Golfo de Ulloa B.C.S. para evitar la captura incidental de especies no objetivo. Instituto Nacional de Pesca, DireccioÌÂÂn General Adjunta de InvestigacioÌÂÂn Pesquera
Koch V, Nichols WJ, Peckham SH, de la Toba V (2006) Estimates of sea turtle mortality from poaching and bycatch in Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Biological Conservation 128: 327-334
Koch V, Peckham SH, Mancini A, Eguchi T (2013) Estimating at-sea mortality of marine turtles from stranding frequencies and drifter experiments. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56776 doi doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056776
Ley-QuinÌÂÂonez C, Zavala-Norzagara A, Espinosa-Carreon TL, Peckham SH, Marquez-Herrera C, Campos-Villegas L, Aguirre AA (2011) Baseline heavy metals and metalloid values in blood of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from Baja California Sur, Mexico. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62: 1979-1983
Maldonado D, Peckham SH, Nichols WJ (2006) Reducing the Bycatch of Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) in Baja California Sur: Experimental Modification of Gillnets for Fishing Halibut. In: Kinan I (ed) Second Western Pacific Sea Turtle Cooperative Research and Management Workshop Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, Honolulu, HI, pp 59-68
Mancini A, Koch V, Seminoff JA, Madon B (2012) Small-scale gill-net fisheries cause massive green turtle Chelonia mydas mortality in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Oryx 1: 1-9
Nichols WJ (2003) Biology and conservation of sea turtles in Baja California, Mexico. PhD Dissertation. School of Renewable Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
Nichols WJ, Resendiz A, Seminoff JA, Resendiz B (2000) Transpacific migration of a loggerhead turtle monitored by satellite telemetry. Bulletin of Marine Science 67: 937-947
NMFS (2007) NMFS and USFWS 5-year status review for the loggerhead sea turtle as listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In: NMFS N, US Department of Commerce and USFWS, Department of the Interior.
NMFS, USFWS (2011) Determination of Nine Distinct Population Segments of Loggerhead Sea Turtles as Endangered or Threatened. US Federal Register, pp 58868-58952
Peckham SH, Maldonado D, Walli A, Ruiz G, Nichols WJ, Crowder L (2007) Small-scale fisheries bycatch jeopardizes endangered Pacific loggerhead turtles. PLoS One 2(10) doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0001041
Peckham SH, Maldonado-Diaz D, Koch V, Mancini A, Gaos A, Tinker MT, Nichols WJ (2008) High mortality of loggerhead turtles due to bycatch, human consumption and strandings at Baja California Sur, Mexico, 2003-7. Endangered Species Research 5: 171-183 doi 10.3354/esr00123
Peckham SH, Maldonado-Diaz D, Tremblay Y, Ochoa R, Polovina J, Balazs G, Dutton PH, Nichols WJ (2011) Demographic implications of alternative foraging strategies in juvenile loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta of the North Pacific Ocean. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 425: 269-280 doi 10.3354/meps08995
Ramirez-Cruz JC, Ramirez IP, Flores DV (1991) DistribucioÌÂÂn y abundancia de la tortuga perica en la costa occidental de Baja California Sur, Mexico. Archelon 1: 1-4
RamiÌÂÂrez-RodriÌÂÂguez M, Ojeda-RuiÌÂÂz MAÌÂÂ (2011) Spatial management of small-scale fisheries on the west coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Marine Policy
ReseÌÂÂndiz E, C Valle, H Peckham, A Zavala, AL Sandoval, V De la Toba and AA Aguirre. (2009) Interdisciplinary research project in conservation medicine of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Baja California Sur –Preliminary data. 1st Disease Ecology and Conservation Medicine Congress, 4-6 November, Kalaan Kab, UNAM, Universidad Veracruzana and Wildlife Trust, Veracruz, Mexico
Romero V, LD Soriano, AL Sandoval, J Bravo, L Aguilar, H Peckam, M Olivera, M Harfush, HM Zepeda-Lopez and AA Aguirre. (2008). Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis in Mexico: Is it a viral etiology? Proceedings of the Twenty-Eight Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. 18-26 January, Loreto, Baja California, Mexico, no. 42
Rossi NA, H Peckham, V de la Toba, R Ochoa, E Flores, AA Aguirre, and WJ Nichols (2008) Size distribution and reproductive status of loggerhead turtles at Baja California Sur, Mexico. Proceedings of the Twenty-Eight Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. 18-26 January, Loreto, Baja California, Mexico, no. 213
Rossi NA, SE Hayhurst, SH Peckam, V De la Toba, R Ochoa, E Flores, WJ Nichols, and AA Aguirre. (2009). Assessing the health of loggerhead sea turltes in Playa San Lazaro, Bahia Magdalena, Mexico. Milstein Science Symposium: Exploring the dynamic relationship between health and the environment. 2-3 April, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, poster abstracts pp. 18.
Seminoff JA, Resendiz A, Resendiz B, Nichols WJ (2004) Occurrence of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Gulf of California, Mexico: Evidence of life-history variation in the Pacific Ocean. Herpetological Review 35: 24-27
Wallace BP, Kot CY, DiMatteo AD, Lee T, Crowder LB, Lewison RL (2013) Impacts of fisheries bycatch on marine turtle populations worldwide: toward conservation and research priorities. Ecosphere 4: 40-49
Wingfield D, Peckham SH, Foley DG, Palacios DM, Lavaniegos BE, Durazo R, Nichois WJ, Croll DA, Bograd SJ (2011) The making of a predator hotspot in the coastal ocean. PLOS One 6(11): e27874 doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0027874
Zavala-Norzagaray, A., C. E. Hart, A. Canizales-Roman, P. Aguilar-Claussell, C. P. Ley-QuinÌÂÂones, and A. A. Aguirre. (2013). First record of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico. 33rd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 2-8 February, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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