Assessment of the Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and Loggerhead (Carettacaretta) Sea Turtle Populations in the Western North Atlantic. A Report of the Turtle Expert Working Group

摘要

At the behest of NMFS, the SEFSC established the Turtle Expert Working Group(TEWG) in February 1995. The charge of the TWEG was first identified in the Endangered Species Act-Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion for Shrimp Trawling in the southeastern United States under the Sea Turtle Conservation Regulations issued in November 1995. Specifically, NMFS was required to 'select a team of population biologists, sea turtle scientists, and life history specialists to compile and examine formation on the status of sea turtle species. The team should attempt to identify (1) the maximum number of individual sea turtles of each species that can be taken incidentally to commercial fishing activities without preventing the recovery of the species, (2) the maximum number of individuals that can be taken incidently to commercial fishing activities without jeopardizing the continued existence of any listed sea turtle species, and (3) the number of stranded sea turtles occurring in statistical zone that indicate incidental takes are occurring at levels beyond those authorized.' Since the first meeting in June, 1995, there have been 3 subsequent formal meetings which have culminated in the two stock level reports that constitute this publication. There is embodied in this publication a status report for the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, within the southeast U.S. and the Kemp's ridely, Lepidochelys kempii, which is found in both Mexican and U.S. waters. This effort which represents the beginning of an evaluation of the status and condition of these stocks is considered preliminary and exploratory. The authors consider these efforts a work in progress. The TEWG is continuing in it's initial endeavors to develop methods to proceed with stock assessments for turtles and the authors are optimistic that this will be realized. it is the TEWG's desire that the results published in this report be interpreted with caution and within the bounds of the assumptions both with the data and with the methodologies applies. The authors wish to note that the exploratory modelling for the Kemp's ridley was completed only in the context of attempting to understand the life history of this species and to extract population level parameters which duplicate empirical data and numerical trends in abundance. This effort is considered a first step in exploring the use of stage or age specific models to assess the status of sea turtles and particularly progress towards recovery.