Number: 1980-20
WHEREAS, the world’s populations of marine turtles have been greatly depleted by many factors including: overexploitation for food or commercial purposes, incidental deaths during fishing operations for other species, nest destruction and hatchling mortality due to nonhuman predators, coastal development that can have adverse impacts on nesting and hatchling survival, and possibly marine pollution; and
WHEREAS, scientists and concerned citizens from over 40 nations gathered in November 1979 to “develop conservation action based on the biology of the species that will return sea turtles to former abundance while allowing controlled exploitation for the benefit of future human generations;” and
WHEREAS, the conference developed a conservation strategy that stated the following:
- that feeding, hibernation and nesting areas be given special legal protection,
- that eggs, hatchlings and nesting females should be protected,
- that commercial exploitation of endangered species cease until significant recovery can be demonstrated,
- establishment of new turtle “farms” should be discouraged until existing operations demonstrate that wild populations are not adversely impacted,
- incidental catch needs to be reduced by restricting fishing in areas of high turtle concentration (as done by Mexico, near Rancho Nuevo and the United States, near Cape Canaveral), and by developing equipment and techniques which reduce mortality, and,
- to do further research to determine more complete life histories for each species as well as monitoring the size and location of marine turtle populations;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 20-23, 1980, in Miami Beach, Fla., hereby recognizes the importance of international cooperation in effective management of marine turtles, and endorses the conservation strategy as an official first step in assuring the long term survival of various sea turtle species.