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First documentation of multiple sea turtle strandings in lake Bardawil, Egypt, 2012: Data and conservation implications. Author: Nada, M.A., L. Boura., K. Grimanis, G. Schofield, M. A. El-Alwany, N. Noor, M. M. Ommeran, B. Rabia. Date: (in press). Journal: Proceedings of the 34th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, New Orleans, USA, 10-17 April 2014
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RESULTS 80 - 100 DEAD SEA TURTLES Datasheet analysis - at least 96 dead. Photographic evidence - at least 87 dead. One live injured green turtle.
ALL 3 SPECIES FOUND IN MEDITERRANEAN PRESENT
MALES PRESENT One male identified in datasheets and photographs.
AGE CLASS: SUBADULTS TO ADULTS36,45 cm Curved carapace length and width was measured for n=64 by surveyors. CCL range was 50 - 80 cm. For records with species identification: greens 58-84 cm (n=6); loggerheads 54-83 cm(n=17); leatherback 120 cm.
NOT A SINGLE MASS STRANDING EVENT MORTALITY ONGOING AT LEAST 6 MONTHS
POSSIBLE CAUSES Natural causes – emaciation; buoyancy disorders; possible toxic algal blooms or high water salinity & temperature (see intro) above tolerance levels -> stress & changes in neuroendocrine responses. Marine litter ingestion – possible although litter is not a severe problem in Bardawil. Fisheries interaction – boat collision & entanglement in fishing gear reported in interviews. Intentional killing admitted by 8 fishermen (n=48), 1 direct observation by surveyors, evidence of intentional head removal for n=4 & of head strike for n=1. Use of poisoned bait reported, no evidence to confirm.
Mohamed A. Nada1,2, Liza Boura1, Kostis Grimanis1, Gail Schofield3,4, Magdy A. El-Alwany5, Noor Noor2, Mossa M. Ommeran6, Basem Rabia7
1 MEDASSET, 1c Licavitou St., 106 72 Athens, Greece. 2 NCE - Nature Conservation Egypt, 3 Abdullah El Kateb, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. 3 Swansea University, UK. 4 Deakin University, Australia. 5 Suez Canal University, Marine Science Department, Biology Building, 41522, Ismailia, Egypt. 6 General
Authority for Fish Resources Development, North Sinai, Bardawil branch, Egypt. 7Zaranik Protected Area, North Sinai, Bardawil, Egypt.
INTRODUCTION ABOUT BARDAWIL Large, semi-enclosed, shallow, hypersaline and least polluted lake in Egypt (580 sq.km, max. depth 3 m, three outlets to Mediterranean, water temperature 14.92-32°C, salinity 37.38-65.59 mg/l)[1].
Economic activities are fishing, salt production, tourism, bird hunting, livestock , reed harvesting. No towns, few small settlements along lake. Overfishing and illegal bird hunting is a problem. Major development planned to irrigate North Sinai with possible impacts on lake ecology.
A Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Approx. 45% protected nationally Zaranik Protected Area (Fig. 2).
SEA TURTLES Low nesting levels on Bardawil’s Mediterranean shores. One of two main nesting zones along the N.Sinai coast (Fig. 1). N. Sinai is the core Egyptian Mediterranean nesting area(20-37 C.caretta, 2-10 C.mydas nests/yr)[2].
Marine ecology: no studies, but at least 8 sea turtles tracked into Bardawil from other locations in Eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus, Turkey, Israel - Fig. 1). Some units ceased to transmit after entering lake.
STUDY TIMELINE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the GAFRD office and the fishermen in Bardawil, the FAO Near East & N. Africa Regional Office in Cairo and the 21 expert reviewers of the study report.
MEDASSET thanks the British Chelonia Group, British Council in Cairo and Egypt Air for support towards the study and report presentation. Poster maps were created with Google Earth.
CITED LITERATURE 1. Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency. 2012. Summary reports of field trips to Bardawil Lake. Northern Lakes Environmental Monitoring Programme.
2. Campbell, A., M. Clarke, S. Ghoneim, W.S. Hameid, C. Simms & C. Edwards. 2001. On status & conservation of marine turtles along the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea coast: results of the Darwin Initiative Sea Turtle Conservation Project 1998-2000. Zool. in the Middle East 24:19-29.
3. Nada, M.A., L. Boura, K. Grimanis, G. Schofield, M. A. El-Alwany, N. Noor, M. M. Ommeran, B. Rabia. 2013. Egypt’s Bardawil Lake: safe haven or deadly trap for sea turtles in the Mediterranean? A report by MEDASSET, Nature Conservation Egypt and Suez Canal University. 79pp.
MORE INFORMATION DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT www.medasset.org/images/stories/publications /BardawilEgyptREPORT_FINAL_2013.pdf
CONTACT [email protected]
OCTOBER 2012
2-3 NOV.
2012
JUNE 2013
DEC. 2013
24 FEB. 2014
Various areas surveyed on 7 dates (records= 121) by co-authors MAE, MMO, BR. MAE & NN contact MEDASSET for assistance.
Joint survey & stakeholder interviews. MAN, MAE, NN, MMO, BR resurvey areas around port 1 & 2 (Fig. 2) (records =74)
Report peer-review by 21 experts
Report Release [3]
Report Presentation at stakeholder meeting in Cairo, Egypt
24
8 1
65
1 1
Loggerhead Green Leatherback
Datasheets Photographic database
FIG. 4. NUMBER OF SPECIES IDENTIFIED IN DATASHEETS & PHOTOGRAPHIC DATABASE.
5,75% n=5
12,64% n=11
33,33% n=29
48,28% n=42
Fresh (>2 weeks)
Slightly decomp. (2-4 weeks)
Severely decomp. (1-6 months)
Completely decomp. (6+ months)
CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS
• Systematic stranding surveys. Tests and necropsies.
• Continued water quality monitoring
• Sea turtle & fisheries interaction research
• Socioeconomic & livelihood studies
• Law enforcement & surveillance
• Awareness raising & capacity building
• Participatory & ecosystem-approach to lake management
• Coordination among conservation & fisheries authorities. Governance decentralization.
• Fisheries policy reform and endorsement of ecosystem approach to fisheries management, to resolve overfishing and bycatch problems in lake.
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REPORT LINK QR CODE
METHODS STRANDING DATA ANALYSIS
Strandings spatial distribution Datasheet assimilation
and analysis Species, sex, size, injury
Min. number of strandings
Photographic evidence analysis
Decomposition/time of death
FIG. 3: DECOMPOSITION LEVEL SCALING SYSTEM Examples of turtles in 4 categories of decomposition level scaling system, created to determine approximate time of death and verify claims of mass stranding.
Photos above: 1: ©2012 MEDASSET/NCE, Photo N. Noor. 2: ©2012 Zaranik PA, Photo B. Rabia. 3-4: © 2012 Suez Canal University, Photos: M.A. El-Alwany. Photo on the right: ©2012 MEDASSET/NCE, Photo M. A. Nada.
FIRST DOCUMENTATION OF MULTIPLE SEA TURTLE STRANDINGS IN LAKE BARDAWIL, EGYPT, 2012: DATA AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS
FIG. 2. MAP OF BARDAWIL LAKE WITH OCT-NOV 2012 STRANDING RECORDS
1
2
20 km
N
MAP KEY MEDITERRANEAN SEA
: Stranding records : Zaranik Protected Area border : Fishing ports : Main road : Inlets
<- To Suez Canal NORTH SINAI - EGYPT To Arish City ->
FIG. 1. BARDAWIL LAKE LOCATION
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
EUROPE
N. AFRICA
FIG. 5. DECOMPOSITION LEVEL & ESTIMATED TIME OF DEATH FOR 87 UNIQUELY IDENTIFIED TURTLES (PHOTO DATABASE)
Fresh. <25% degradation. Dead >2 weeks.
Slightly decomposed. 25-50% degradation. Dead 2-4 weeks.
Severely decomposed. 50-75% degradation. Dead 1-6 months
Completely decomposed 100% degradation. Dead 6+ months
A FORAGING, WINTERING, DEVELOPMENTAL HABITAT ? => MORE RESEARCH NEEDED !
