Maps reveal secret life of marine turtles in urgent need of protection
A series of conservation maps produced by WWF reveal for the first time the secret life of endangered turtles in the world’s most diverse marine region – the Coral Triangle.
The maps are the first to bring together the different life cycle movements, migration routes, foraging grounds, and nesting sites of green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles.
Fishing Technology That’s Letting Turtles Off the Hook
Santiago de Cali, Colombia - Alternative fishing technology has been shown to save turtles while not affecting fish catches, according to a report released by WWF and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
Flags of convenience fly in face of fisheries protection
Maritime security and the future of fisheries are coming under increasing threat from vessels flying flags of convenience. Real and Present Danger: Flag State Failure and Maritime Security and Safety, a joint WWF and International Transport Workers’ Federation study, found ships under flags of convenience were also involved in piracy, people trafficking and arms smuggling.
New website on reducing marine turtle bycatch in the Eastern Pacific
The WWF Eastern Pacific Marine Turtle Bycatch Programme website has been launched to share information on WWF's Latin America and Caribbean Sustainable Fisheries Program is working witg fishers and other stakeholders to transform longline fisheries toward sustainability.
Turtles to be climate change canaries
Just as canaries help miners monitor underground gases, marine turtles are emerging as excellent indicators of the effects of climate change.
New guide to reducing bycatch goes online
As a service to the long-term sustainability of both fish stocks and fishing communities, WWF has established an online resource providing up-to-date information on bycatch (the capture of non-target creatures in fishing gear) and how to reduce it.
Sea turtles threatened by rising seas
Sea turtles lay their eggs into the beach sand. Many return to the exact beaches that they were hatched to lay the eggs for the next generation of turtles. But sea level rise due to climate change threatens beach habitat. A new study predicts that turtle reproduction will be hard hit.
Protecting endangered species helps reduce poverty
Saving pandas, gorillas, sea turtles or tigers is not just about stopping an endangered species from going extinct, but also about reducing poverty and improving the lives of local communities, according to a new WWF report.
Two-headed olive ridley turtle hatchling
Ostional, Costa Rica. 11/29/05. The night of November 20, a two-headed olive ridley sea turtle hatchling (Lepidochelys olivacea) crawled out of its egg and caught the attention of WWF, the global conservation organization. Deformations of this sort can be associated with contaminants, increased temperatures possibly resulting from climate change, or other causes.
Circle hooks help save sea turtles in Ecuador
Preliminary test results from 115 fishing vessels in Ecuador indicate the use of circle hooks can reduce the number of endangered sea turtles killed in long line fishing operations by as much as 90 per cent.