Times of India, IANS
Dec 22, 2011, 10.52AM IST
MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities recorded a total of 42.2 million Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Kemp's Ridley sea turtle births during the 2010-11 nesting season, authorities said.
Efforts to secure the protection of female turtles and their nests and safeguard hatchlings' journey to the ocean are led by the National Commission on Natural Protected Areas, or Conanp, at 33 nesting beaches, the Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat said in a statement Tuesday.
Ten of those beaches are natural protected areas, three are located inside biosphere reserves, 15 are internationally designated wetlands sites and the remainder are located in areas without special protection mechanisms, the secretariat said.
Approximately 1.2 million Olive Ridley turtle nests were laid and 23.3 million offspring made their way to the ocean at the Playa de Escobilla sanctuary and Morro Ayuta beach, both located in the southern state of Oaxaca.
A total of 20,574 Kemp's Ridley turtle nests were laid in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas and 534 in the eastern state of Veracruz and an estimated 18.9 million hatchlings reached the sea in those two regions.
"The nesting figure for the latest season is up (compared to the previous season), and therefore the conclusion can be drawn that the population is on the road to recovery," the secretariat said.
In the case of the Leatherback turtle, one of the most threatened turtle species in Mexico, authorities counted a total of 615 nests, mainly on the coasts of the Pacific states of Michoacan, Guerrero and Oaxaca.
In those states, authorities supervised the entrance to the sea of 15,414 Leatherback offspring.
The secretariat estimates that around 1,647 Leatherback turtle nests were laid along the entire Pacific coast during the 2010-11 nesting season.
Invasion of their habitat (beaches) by man, accidental fishing, depredation of their nests by some communities that still consume their flesh and eggs and injuries suffered by boats' outboard motors are the main dangers sea turtles in Mexico face.
Mexico banned the harvest of sea turtles for commercial or subsistence reasons in April 2006.
(Editor-Anyone out there who could verify this?)
via Herp Digest
Showing posts with label rare and threatened species. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rare and threatened species. Show all posts
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Critically Endangered Ploughshare tortoises rescued from smugglers
Madagascar officials foil smuggling plot of rare tortoises August 2011. A shipment of extremely rare and threatened Malagasy tortoises has been seized by officials in Madagascar as smugglers attempted to board a flight with around 200 specimens. Two men, one a native of Madagascar and an Indian national were arrested.
27 Ploughshare and 169 Radiated tortoises
The haul of rare creatures was made up of 27 ploughshare tortoises, 169 radiated tortoises and one spider tortoise. The animals were divided into three suitcases and a number of boxes and following the Kenyan Airways flight to Nairobi the consignment was due to continue on to Dubai before reaching the final destination of Jakarta. The animals are worth tens of thousands of pounds in the illegal pet trade, where they are highly sought after.
The reptiles, believed to range in age from babies through to adult were not picked up on the airport scanning system, and it was as the luggage was loaded onto the aircraft that the authorities became suspicious and the illegal haul was discovered. The tortoises are currently being held at secure quarantine centres while the case is being investigated
"It is a fantastic result that these animals were discovered and the perpetrators caught by the authorities before leaving Madagascar. It is very important that people understand that smuggling these highly threatened animals is a serious crime and we look to the judiciary to apply the full weight of the law." Commented Richard Lewis, Director of Durrell's Madagascar Programme.
Tortoise decline in Madagascar
The reduction in the tortoise population of Madagascar can be traced back to the 18th and 19th century when animals were taken as a valuable food source for visiting sailors; in the 20th century adult tortoises were often used as ‘courtyard cleaners' for the more wealthy locals. The 1990's saw an explosion in the illegal pet trade, when young ploughshares were particularly popular with the European and American markets and a single individual could fetch thousands of dollars a tempting proposition for some of the Malagasy people whose average wage is less than a dollar a day.
Catastrophic affect on the native population
Now the current political instability in Madagascar has exacerbated the trafficking situation as global animal smuggling groups have seized the opportunity to exploit the situation. This coupled with the increase in wealth in South East Asia and China where purchasers are willing to pay top prices for live specimens as pets has had a catastrophic affect on the native population.
"Like most illegal trade in wildlife, we are dealing with a situation where external demand for animals is corrupting poverty stricken communities. While we are trying to support the enforcement of wildlife laws within Madagascar, we must also tackle the demand coming from overseas. This remains the single greatest challenge for the future of the ploughshare tortoise and countless other species" said Andrew Terry, Head of Durrell's Field Programmes.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have been working with the Critically Endangered ploughshare tortoise in Madagascar for the last 25 years and have over that time achieved considerable success with their captive breeding programme based in Ampijoroa; to date over 200 animals have been raised in the centre and 45 released into the wild. Durrell has started a new initiative with international partners to address the trade in ploughshare tortoises and to raise awareness of animals being traded illegally. We will continue to work with the national authorities and local NGOs such as Voahary Gasy in Madagascar and partners in South East Asia to halt the illegal trade in these species.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/madagascar-ploughshare011.html
27 Ploughshare and 169 Radiated tortoises
The haul of rare creatures was made up of 27 ploughshare tortoises, 169 radiated tortoises and one spider tortoise. The animals were divided into three suitcases and a number of boxes and following the Kenyan Airways flight to Nairobi the consignment was due to continue on to Dubai before reaching the final destination of Jakarta. The animals are worth tens of thousands of pounds in the illegal pet trade, where they are highly sought after.
The reptiles, believed to range in age from babies through to adult were not picked up on the airport scanning system, and it was as the luggage was loaded onto the aircraft that the authorities became suspicious and the illegal haul was discovered. The tortoises are currently being held at secure quarantine centres while the case is being investigated
"It is a fantastic result that these animals were discovered and the perpetrators caught by the authorities before leaving Madagascar. It is very important that people understand that smuggling these highly threatened animals is a serious crime and we look to the judiciary to apply the full weight of the law." Commented Richard Lewis, Director of Durrell's Madagascar Programme.
Tortoise decline in Madagascar
The reduction in the tortoise population of Madagascar can be traced back to the 18th and 19th century when animals were taken as a valuable food source for visiting sailors; in the 20th century adult tortoises were often used as ‘courtyard cleaners' for the more wealthy locals. The 1990's saw an explosion in the illegal pet trade, when young ploughshares were particularly popular with the European and American markets and a single individual could fetch thousands of dollars a tempting proposition for some of the Malagasy people whose average wage is less than a dollar a day.
Catastrophic affect on the native population
Now the current political instability in Madagascar has exacerbated the trafficking situation as global animal smuggling groups have seized the opportunity to exploit the situation. This coupled with the increase in wealth in South East Asia and China where purchasers are willing to pay top prices for live specimens as pets has had a catastrophic affect on the native population.
"Like most illegal trade in wildlife, we are dealing with a situation where external demand for animals is corrupting poverty stricken communities. While we are trying to support the enforcement of wildlife laws within Madagascar, we must also tackle the demand coming from overseas. This remains the single greatest challenge for the future of the ploughshare tortoise and countless other species" said Andrew Terry, Head of Durrell's Field Programmes.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have been working with the Critically Endangered ploughshare tortoise in Madagascar for the last 25 years and have over that time achieved considerable success with their captive breeding programme based in Ampijoroa; to date over 200 animals have been raised in the centre and 45 released into the wild. Durrell has started a new initiative with international partners to address the trade in ploughshare tortoises and to raise awareness of animals being traded illegally. We will continue to work with the national authorities and local NGOs such as Voahary Gasy in Madagascar and partners in South East Asia to halt the illegal trade in these species.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/madagascar-ploughshare011.html
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
200 of the world's rarest tortoises seized from smugglers in Madagascar
Two smugglers bound for Indonesia have been arrested
August 2011: Two hundred of the world's rarest tortoises have been seized in Madagascar, as during an attempt to smuggle them out of the country to Indonsia. Two men have been arrested.
Frontier Police found 26 ploughshare tortoises, 169 radiated tortoises and a spider tortoise in a box and three large bags that were transported directly to the tarmac, circumventing security scanners, according to local media reports.
Upon scanning the bags, authorities discovered the tortoises hidden inside and proceeded to arrest two men, one of whom had already boarded the flight. The two arrested were a Malagasy and an Indian national.
Just a few hundred left in the wild
All three tortoise species only occur naturally in Madagascar - and there are thought to be only a few hundred ploughshare tortoises left in the wild. All three tortoises are classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.
Their international commercial trade is banned under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), yet these species frequently turn up in seizures and are seen for sale in markets of South-East Asia.
Earlier this year, TRAFFIC released the results of its investigations in Thailand, which found more than 100 radiated tortoises, dozens of spider tortoises, and three ploughshare tortoises for sale in markets and online. And in February, authorities in Bangkok arrested an Indonesian national with seven radiated and one ploughshare tortoise in his bags at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
100 tortoises leave Madagscar each week
A WWF survey published last year showed that ten or more zebu carts filled with about 100 tortoises each are leaving the Mahafaly Plateau in south Madagascar every week, and pointed to ongoing political instability as the driver for the large jump in illegal collection of spider tortoises and radiated tortoises.
‘Those involved in apprehending these criminals in Ivato are to be congratulated,' says Chris Shepherd, deputy regional director of TRAFFIC South East Asia.
‘Responsibility does not lie with Madagascar alone, but also with importing countries. The authorities in Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia should take firm and immediate action against those trading in these species and put an end to this illicit trade.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tortoise-smuggling.html#cr
August 2011: Two hundred of the world's rarest tortoises have been seized in Madagascar, as during an attempt to smuggle them out of the country to Indonsia. Two men have been arrested.
Frontier Police found 26 ploughshare tortoises, 169 radiated tortoises and a spider tortoise in a box and three large bags that were transported directly to the tarmac, circumventing security scanners, according to local media reports.
very rare ploughshare tortoises
Upon scanning the bags, authorities discovered the tortoises hidden inside and proceeded to arrest two men, one of whom had already boarded the flight. The two arrested were a Malagasy and an Indian national.
Just a few hundred left in the wild
All three tortoise species only occur naturally in Madagascar - and there are thought to be only a few hundred ploughshare tortoises left in the wild. All three tortoises are classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.
Their international commercial trade is banned under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), yet these species frequently turn up in seizures and are seen for sale in markets of South-East Asia.
Earlier this year, TRAFFIC released the results of its investigations in Thailand, which found more than 100 radiated tortoises, dozens of spider tortoises, and three ploughshare tortoises for sale in markets and online. And in February, authorities in Bangkok arrested an Indonesian national with seven radiated and one ploughshare tortoise in his bags at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
100 tortoises leave Madagscar each week
A WWF survey published last year showed that ten or more zebu carts filled with about 100 tortoises each are leaving the Mahafaly Plateau in south Madagascar every week, and pointed to ongoing political instability as the driver for the large jump in illegal collection of spider tortoises and radiated tortoises.
‘Those involved in apprehending these criminals in Ivato are to be congratulated,' says Chris Shepherd, deputy regional director of TRAFFIC South East Asia.
‘Responsibility does not lie with Madagascar alone, but also with importing countries. The authorities in Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia should take firm and immediate action against those trading in these species and put an end to this illicit trade.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tortoise-smuggling.html#cr
Friday, July 29, 2011
Grand Cayman blue iguana: back from the brink
Chance of complete recovery
July 2011: While thousands of species are threatened with extinction around the globe, efforts to save the Grand Cayman blue iguana represent a rarity in conservation: a chance for complete recovery according to experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme - a consortium of local and international partners - has successfully released more than 500 captive-bred reptiles since the initiative's inception in 2002, when the wild population of iguanas numbered less than two dozen.
‘For the past several years, we've succeeded in adding hundreds of animals to the wild population, all of which receive a health screening before release,' said Dr Paul Calle, director of zoological health for WCS's Bronx Zoo.
We expect to reach our goal of 1,000 iguanas
Fred Burton, director of the recovery programme, said: ‘We expect to reach our goal of 1,000 iguanas in managed protected areas in the wild in a few years. After that, we will monitor the iguanas to make sure they are reproducing in the numbers needed to maintain the wild population. If we get positive results, we will have succeeded.'
The Grand Cayman blue iguana is the largest native species of its namesake island, growing to more than 5ft in length and sometimes weighing more than 25lb. The iguana formerly ranged over most of the island's coastal areas and the dry shrub lands of the interior before becoming endangered by a combination of habitat destruction, car-related mortality, and predation by introduced dogs and cats. The entire island's wild population in 2002 was estimated at between ten and 25 individuals.
Recovery efforts to save the Grand Cayman blue iguana have mostly centered on the Salina Reserve, a 625-acre nature reserve located on the eastern side of the island. After being hatched and raised for a year or two in a captive breeding facility, each iguana receives a complete health assessment before release. This involves veterinarians taking blood and fecal samples for analysis, as well as weighing and tagging each reptile.
This year, the recovery programme is releasing iguanas into a new protected area, the Colliers Wilderness Reserve, established last year and managed by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cayman-iguana.html#cr
July 2011: While thousands of species are threatened with extinction around the globe, efforts to save the Grand Cayman blue iguana represent a rarity in conservation: a chance for complete recovery according to experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme - a consortium of local and international partners - has successfully released more than 500 captive-bred reptiles since the initiative's inception in 2002, when the wild population of iguanas numbered less than two dozen.
‘For the past several years, we've succeeded in adding hundreds of animals to the wild population, all of which receive a health screening before release,' said Dr Paul Calle, director of zoological health for WCS's Bronx Zoo.
We expect to reach our goal of 1,000 iguanas
Fred Burton, director of the recovery programme, said: ‘We expect to reach our goal of 1,000 iguanas in managed protected areas in the wild in a few years. After that, we will monitor the iguanas to make sure they are reproducing in the numbers needed to maintain the wild population. If we get positive results, we will have succeeded.'
The Grand Cayman blue iguana is the largest native species of its namesake island, growing to more than 5ft in length and sometimes weighing more than 25lb. The iguana formerly ranged over most of the island's coastal areas and the dry shrub lands of the interior before becoming endangered by a combination of habitat destruction, car-related mortality, and predation by introduced dogs and cats. The entire island's wild population in 2002 was estimated at between ten and 25 individuals.
Recovery efforts to save the Grand Cayman blue iguana have mostly centered on the Salina Reserve, a 625-acre nature reserve located on the eastern side of the island. After being hatched and raised for a year or two in a captive breeding facility, each iguana receives a complete health assessment before release. This involves veterinarians taking blood and fecal samples for analysis, as well as weighing and tagging each reptile.
This year, the recovery programme is releasing iguanas into a new protected area, the Colliers Wilderness Reserve, established last year and managed by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cayman-iguana.html#cr
Monday, July 18, 2011
$2million grant to save Andes' precious forests
Polylepis woodlands are unique
July 2011: Conservation efforts targeting threatened high-altitude forests in the Andes Mountains near the sacred, ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, Peru, will benefit from a new $2million endowment fund.
Established by Fondo de las Américasú (FONDAM), Conservation International's Global Conservation Fund (GCF), Conservation International - Perú, and American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the money will fund projects to conserve Polylepis woodlands as of next year.
Polylepis is a genus of trees and shrubs unique to the Andes of South America. Conserving Polylepis forests is crucial for protecting biodiversity and water sources for nearby communities. These forests support threatened bird species, including the royal cinclodes, white-browed tit-spinetail, and ash-breasted tit-tyrant.
Home to rare and threatened birds
ABC's Peruvian partner Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) estimates 127 Royal cinclodes occur in the Vilcanota area out of a global population that may number fewer than 250 individuals.
‘The establishment of the first endowment for Private Conservation Areas is great news for Peru.
'This support will ensure not only the sustainability of these areas, but also the conservation of the biodiversity of such an important ecosystem as Vilcanota, in a collaborative work with local communities,' said Luis Espinel, executive director for Conservation International in Peru.
To date, participating communities have protected over 15,000 acres in seven Private Conservation Areas recognised by the Peruvian national government, with more reserves currently being created.
This includes the new 1,897-acre Pampacorral Private Conservation Area at Pampacorral, and the 4,515 acre Qosqoccahuarina Private Conservation Area at Rumira Sondormayo, both of which were approved by the Peruvian government in April this year.
Over half-a-million Polylepis saplings and other native species have been planted to restore forests, and many areas have been fenced to protect saplings from grazing animals and promote habitat regeneration.
Planting 150,000 trees for sustainable fuel
‘The project has benefitted more than 8,000 people in more than 20 communities by planting 150,000 trees that provide a sustainable fuel wood supply so they do not need to cut down Polylepis forests to cook,' said Constantino Aucca, President of ECOAN.
Aucca added that the project has also provided nearly 6,000 fuel-efficient clay ovens to reduce fuel wood needs, erected solar panels to provide electricity and hot water for washing, aided in the construction of greenhouses to provide healthy food to communities, and funded health and educational services.
ABC and ECOAN have also provided communities with technical assistance to improve pasture management, wool production, textile marketing, and to develop sustainable nature tourism at the Private Conservation Areas. A new visitor centre opened in February at Abra Málaga Thastayoc - Royal Cinclodes Private Conservation Area.
‘The Vilcanota Reserve Network is an encouraging example of how we can work with local communities to successfully raise living standards while simultaneously benefiting habitat for endangered species,' said ABC conservation biologist, Dr Daniel Lebbin.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/polylepis-andes.html
July 2011: Conservation efforts targeting threatened high-altitude forests in the Andes Mountains near the sacred, ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, Peru, will benefit from a new $2million endowment fund.
Established by Fondo de las Américasú (FONDAM), Conservation International's Global Conservation Fund (GCF), Conservation International - Perú, and American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the money will fund projects to conserve Polylepis woodlands as of next year.
Polylepis is a genus of trees and shrubs unique to the Andes of South America. Conserving Polylepis forests is crucial for protecting biodiversity and water sources for nearby communities. These forests support threatened bird species, including the royal cinclodes, white-browed tit-spinetail, and ash-breasted tit-tyrant.
Home to rare and threatened birds
ABC's Peruvian partner Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) estimates 127 Royal cinclodes occur in the Vilcanota area out of a global population that may number fewer than 250 individuals.
‘The establishment of the first endowment for Private Conservation Areas is great news for Peru.
'This support will ensure not only the sustainability of these areas, but also the conservation of the biodiversity of such an important ecosystem as Vilcanota, in a collaborative work with local communities,' said Luis Espinel, executive director for Conservation International in Peru.
To date, participating communities have protected over 15,000 acres in seven Private Conservation Areas recognised by the Peruvian national government, with more reserves currently being created.
This includes the new 1,897-acre Pampacorral Private Conservation Area at Pampacorral, and the 4,515 acre Qosqoccahuarina Private Conservation Area at Rumira Sondormayo, both of which were approved by the Peruvian government in April this year.
Over half-a-million Polylepis saplings and other native species have been planted to restore forests, and many areas have been fenced to protect saplings from grazing animals and promote habitat regeneration.
Planting 150,000 trees for sustainable fuel
‘The project has benefitted more than 8,000 people in more than 20 communities by planting 150,000 trees that provide a sustainable fuel wood supply so they do not need to cut down Polylepis forests to cook,' said Constantino Aucca, President of ECOAN.
Aucca added that the project has also provided nearly 6,000 fuel-efficient clay ovens to reduce fuel wood needs, erected solar panels to provide electricity and hot water for washing, aided in the construction of greenhouses to provide healthy food to communities, and funded health and educational services.
ABC and ECOAN have also provided communities with technical assistance to improve pasture management, wool production, textile marketing, and to develop sustainable nature tourism at the Private Conservation Areas. A new visitor centre opened in February at Abra Málaga Thastayoc - Royal Cinclodes Private Conservation Area.
‘The Vilcanota Reserve Network is an encouraging example of how we can work with local communities to successfully raise living standards while simultaneously benefiting habitat for endangered species,' said ABC conservation biologist, Dr Daniel Lebbin.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/polylepis-andes.html
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