Updated take estimates of marine turtles in the Guajira Peninsula, Venezuela
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47193/mafis.3842025011001Keywords:
Artisanal fisheries, green turtle, Gulf of Venezuela, Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (IUU), aquatic bushmeatAbstract
The Guajira Peninsula is one of the most important foraging grounds areas for marine turtles in Venezuela. There, five species converging: the green turtle, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, and olive ridley. The Wayuú indigenous people are inhabits of the Guajira Peninsula. They have a close relationship with these animals, and for generations, they have used these species as subsistence resources. Marine turtle take has always occurred in this area and has historically been high; it is still happening now, but the current extent is unknown. For that reason, we aim to assess and update the estimate for marine turtles take in the Guajira Peninsula. We conducted 25 field surveys between February and March 2022 by visiting 15 locations to seek for alive turtles and remains on landing sites. We recorded the species, date, location of each encounter, and curve carapace length (CCL) measurements. Additionally, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the Wayuú community. During field surveys, an estimated 81 marine turtles were identified. The most affected species were green turtles (91.3%, n = 74), followed by hawksbills (3.7%, n = 3), loggerheads (3.7%, n = 3), and leatherbacks (1.2%, n = 1). The majority of green turtles were subadults, with an average CCL size of 64.7 ± 16.5 cm (82.2%, n = 52). Interviewees mentioned that marine turtles were caught for cultural practices, consumption, ancient medicine, and commerce. Further monitoring activities are needed to understand the take level and its implications for marine turtle populations in the Caribbean Basin.
Downloads
References
Álvarez-Varas, R, Barrios-Garrido, H, Skamiotis-Gómez, I, Petitpas, R. 2020. Cultural role of sea turtles on Rapa Nui (Easter Island): Spatial and temporal contrast in the Pacific island region. Isl Stud J. 15 (1): 253-270. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.111
Awadh H, Darasi, Aksissou M, Tiwari M. 2017. Marine turtle bycatch in artisanal fisheries in Yemeni Red Sea waters. African Sea Turtle Newsletter. 7: 1-5.
Barrios-Garrido H. 2018a. Socio-economic drivers affecting marine turtle conservation status: causes and consequences [PhD thesis]. Townsville: James Cook University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25903/5be0fecec8548
Barrios-Garrido H. 2018b. Las tortugas marinas y los pueblos Wayuú: una historia de ritos, creencias y usos tradicionales. Ecotrópicos. 30: e0002.
Barrios-Garrido H, Becker P, Bjorndal K, Bolten AB, Diez CE, Espinoza-Rodríguez N, Fastigi M, Gray J, Harrison E, Hart KA, et al. 2020b. Sources and movements of marine turtles in the Gulf of Venezuela: regional and local assessments. Reg Stud Mar Sci. 36: 101318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101318
Barrios-Garrido H, Espinoza-Rodríguez N, Rojas-Cañizales D, Palmar J, Wildermann N, Montiel-Villalobos MG, Hamann M. 2017. Trade of marine turtles along the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Venezuela. Mar Biodivers Rec. 10: 15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-017-0115-0
Barrios-Garrido H, Montiel-Villalobos M. 2016. Strandings of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) along the western and southern coast of the Gulf of Venezuela. Herpetol Conserv Biol. 11 (1): 244-252.
Barrios-Garrido H, Montiel-Villalobos M, Palmar J, Rodriguez-Clark K. 2020a. Wayuú capture of green turtles, Chelonia mydas, in the Gulf of Venezuela: a major Caribbean artisanal turtle fishery. Ocean Coast Manage. 188: 105123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105123
Barrios-Garrido H, Palmar J, Wildermann N, Rojas-Cañizales D, Diedrich A, Hamann M. 2018. Marine turtle presence in the traditional pharmacopoeia, cosmovision, and beliefs of Wayuú indigenous people. Chelonian Conserv Biol. 17 (2): 177-186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1276.1
Barrios-Garrido H, Petit-Rodríguez M, Espinoza-Rodríguez N, Wildermann N. 2019. Marine debris and marine turtles in the Venezuelan Guajira Peninsula: a new menace. Marine Turtle Newsletter. 156: 41.
Barrios-Garrido H, Wildermann N, Guada H, Buitrago J, Balladares C. 2015. Guaraguá Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz, 1829. In: Rodríguez JP, García-Rawlins A, Rojas-Suárez F, editors. Libro rojo de la fauna venezolana. 4th ed. Caracas: Provita y Fundación Empresas Polar. p. 153-154.
Berry P, Ogawa-Onishi Y, McVey A. 2013. The vulnerability of threatened species: adaptive capability and adaptation opportunity. Biology. 2 (3): 872-893. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biology2030872
Bolten AB. 1999. Techniques for measuring sea turtles. In: Eckert KL, Bjorndal KA, Abreu-Grobois FA, Donnelly M, editors. Research and management techniques for the conservation of sea turtles. Washington: IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group. p. 110-114.
Buitrago J, Guada HJ, Rondón-Médicci M, Balladares C, Llanos V. 2015b. Carey Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766. In: Rodríguez JP, García-Rawlins A, Rojas-Suárez F, editors. Libro rojo de la fauna venezolana. 4th ed. Caracas: Provita y Fundación Empresas Polar. p. 151-152.
Buitrago J, Vera V, García-Cruz MA, Montiel-Villalobos MG, Rodríguez-Clark KM, Barrios-Garrido H, Peñaloza CL, Guada HJ, Sole G. 2015a. Tortuga verde Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758. In: Rodríguez JP, García-Rawlins A, Rojas-Suárez F, editors. Libro rojo de la fauna venezolana. 4th ed. Caracas: Provita y Fundación Empresas Polar. p. 149-150.
Bovery C, Wyneken J. 2013. Sea turtles in Florida’s Atlantic waters. Mar Fish Rev. 75 (3): 1-12.
Campbell LM. 2010. Studying sea turtle conservation and learning about the world: insights from social science. Conserv Soc. 8: 1-4.
[CIT] Convención interamericana de para la protección y conservación de las tortugas marinas. 2006. Amenazas a las tortugas marinas y posibles soluciones. San José: CIT. 11 p.
Da Silva VRF, Mitraud SF, Ferraz MLCP, et al. 2016. Adaptive threat management framework: integrating people and turtles. Environ Dev Sustain. 18: 1541-1558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-015-9716-0
Espinoza-Rodríguez N, Pernía Y, Severeyn H, García de Severeyn Y, Barrios-Garrido H. 2021. Echinoderms from the Gulf of Venezuela, north-western coast of Venezuela. Pap Avul Zool. 61: e20216151.
[FAO] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2020. The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2020. Sustainability in action. [accessed 2023 Dec 22]. https://www.fao.org/3/ca9229en/online/ca9229en.html.
Frey D. 2022. Global sea turtle poaching is on the decline. [accessed 2023 Dec 22]. https://wildlife.org/global-sea-turtle-poaching-is-on-the-decline/.
Godfrey M, Cluse W. 2006. Handbook for sea turtle volunteers in North Carolina. Raleigh: Coastal Fauna Diversity Program. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 44 p.
Guada H, Rondón-Médicci M, Barrios-Garrido H, Montiel-Villalobos MG, Buitrago J Balladares. 2015. Tortuga cabezona Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758. In: Rodríguez JP, García-Rawlins A, Rojas-Suárez F, editors. Libro rojo de la fauna venezolana. 4th ed. Caracas: Provita y Fundación Empresas Polar. p. 148.
Guada H, Sole G. 2000. Plan para la recuperación de las tortugas marinas de Venezuela. WIDECAST Informe Técnico del PAC. 39. 112 p.
Herring M. 2021. The palm trees loomed, stretching over the dunes like sleepy giants shading patches of sand from the scorching sun. [accessed 2023 Dec 22]. Oceanographic. https://oceanographicmagazine.com/features/covid-19-turtle-conservation/.
Kennett R, Robinson CJ, Kiessling I, Yunupingu D, Munungurritj Mr, Yunipingu D. 2004. Indigenous initiatives for co-management of Miyapunu/Sea turtle. Ecol Manage Restor. 5 (3): 159-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2004.00204.x
Marsh SME, Hoffmann M, Burgess ND, Brooks TM, Challender DW, Cremona PJ, Hilton-Taylor C, Lafayete de Micheaux F, Lichtenstein G, et al. 2022. Prevalence of sustainable and unsustainable use of wild species inferred from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Conserv Biol. 36 (2): 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13844
McKee H. 2023. Saving sea turtles during the Pandemic. [accessed 2023 May 25]. Ecology Project International. https://www.ecologyproject.org/post/saving-sea-turtles-during-the-pandemic.
Medina E, Barboza F. 2003. Manglares del sistema del Lago de Maracaibo: caracterización fisiográfica y ecológica. Ecotropicos. 16 (2): 75-82.
Mejías-Balsalobre C, Restrepo J, Borges G, García R, Rojas-Cañizales D, Barrios-Garrido H, Valverde RA. 2021. Local community perceptions of sea turtle egg use in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Ocean Coast Manage. 201: 15423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105423
Meletis ZA, Harrison EC. 2010. Tourists and Turtles: Searching for a Balance in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Conserv Soc. 8: 26-43.
Mendoza-Lewis J. 2021. Sustainable use and conservation of the green turtle by the Miskitu indigenous people, Nicaragua. [accessed 2023 Jul 15]. Local Biodiversity Outlooks. https://localbiodiversityoutlooks.net/sustainable-use-and-conservation-of-the-green-turtle-by-the-miskitu-indigenous-people-nicaragua/.
Muche M, Yemata G, Molla E, Muthama Muasya A, Tsegay BA. 2022. COVID-19 lockdown and natural resources: a global assessment on the challenges, opportunities, and the way forward. Bull Natl Res Cent. 46: 20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-022-00706-2
Musick JA. 2002. Sea turtles. In: Carpenter KE, editor. The living marine resources of the western central Atlantic. Vol 3. Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. 5. p. 2018-2028. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/190.
New England Aquarium. 2021. Macuro. Conservación de tortugas marinas en el Golfo de Paria, Venezuela. [accessed 2023 Jun 22]. New England Aquarium. https://www.neaq.org/macuro-conservacion-de-tortugas-marinas-en-el-golfo-de-paria-venezuela/.
Newing H. 2010. Conducting research in conservation: social science methods and practice. London: Routledge. 400 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203846452
Oravetz CA. 2000. Reducción de la captura incidental en pesquerías. In: Eckert KL, Bjorndal KA, Abreu-Grobois FA, Donnelly M, editors. Técnicas de investigación y manejo para la conservación de las tortugas marinas. 4. Washington: IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication. p. 217-222.
Pakiding F, Zohar K, Allo AYT, Keroman S, Lontoh D, Dutton PH, Tiwari M. 2020. Community engagement: an integral component of a multifaceted conservation approach for the transboundary western Pacific leatherback. Front Mar Sci. 7: 549570. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.549570
Pritchard PCH, Mortimer JA. 1999. Taxonomy, external morphology, and species identification. In: Eckert K, Bjorndal K, Abreu-Grobois F, Donnelly M, editors. Research and management techniques for the conservation of sea turtles. 4. Washington: IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group Publication. p. 31-48.
Quesada-Rodríguez C, Orientale C, Diaz-Orozco J, Sellés-Ríos B. 2021. Impact of 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on environmental education and leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting monitoring in Pacuare Reserve, Costa Rica. Biological Conservation. 255: 10898. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108981
Restrepo J, Webster EG, Ramos I, Valverde RA. 2023. Recent decline of green turtle Chelonia mydas nesting trend at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Endanger Species Res. 51: 59-72.
Robinson DP, Hyland K, Beukes G, Vettan A, Mabadikate A, Jabado RW, Rohner CA, Pierce SJ, Baverstock W. 2021. Satellite tracking of rehabilitated sea turtles suggests a high rate of short-term survival following release. PLoS ONE. 16 (2): e0246241. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246241
Rojas-Cañizales D, Espinoza-Rodriguez N, Petit-Rodríguez M, Palmar J, Mejías-Balsalobre C, Wildermann N, Barros T, Barrios-Garrido H. 2020. Marine turtle mortality in a southern Caribbean artisanal fishery: a threat for immature green turtles. Reg Stud Mar Sci. 38: 101380. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101380
Rojas-Cañizales D, Espinoza-Rodríguez N, Rodríguez M, Palmar J, Montiel-Villalobos M, et al. 2021. Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Gulf of Venezuela updated stranding assessment 2001-2014. Mar Fish Sci. 34 (1): 113-119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47193/mafis.3412021010305
Rojas-Cañizales D, Restrepo J, Mejías-Balsalobre C, Barrios-Garrido H, Valverde RA. 2022. Illegal take of nesting sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica: conservation, trade, or tradition? J Environ Manage. 324: 116408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116408
Rondón-Médicci M, Hedelvy J, Guada H, Buitrago J, Balladares C. 2015. Cardón Dermochelys coriacea Vandelli, 1761. In: Rodríguez JP, García-Rawlins A, Rojas-Suárez F, editors. Libro rojo de la fauna venezolana. 4th ed. Caracas: Provita y Fundación Empresas Polar. 155-156.
Rousseau Y, Watson A, Blanchard J, Fulton E. 2019. Defining global artisanal fisheries. Mar Policy. 108: 103634.
Rueda-Almonacid J, Mayorga J, Ulloa G. 1992. Observaciones sobre la captura comercial de tortugas marinas en la península de la Guajira, Colombia. In: Rodríguez-Mahecha M, Sánchez-Páez H, editors. Contribución al conocimiento de las tortugas marinas de Colombia. 4. Santafé de Bogotá: Instituto Nacional de los Recursos Naturales Renovables y del Ambiente (INDERMA). p. 133-153.
Sarmiento R. 2020. Covid-19 lockdown proves a boon for sea turtles in Sarangani Bay. [accessed 2023 May 22]. Earth Journalism Network. https://earthjournalism.net/stories/covid-19-lockdown-proves-a-boon-for-sea-turtles-in-sarangani-bay.
Senko JF, Burgher KM, Mancha-Cisneros M, Brendan J, Godley BJ, Kinan-Kelly I, Fox T, Humber F, Koch V, Smith AT, et al. 2022. Global patterns of illegal marine turtle exploitation. Global Change Biol. 28 (22): 6509-6523. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16378
Stringell TB, Calosso MC, Claydon JAB, Clerveaux W, Godley BJ, Lockhart KJ, Phillips Q, Ranger S, Richardson PB, Sanghera A, et al. 2013. Marine turtle harvest in a mixed small-scale fishery: evidence for revised management measures. Ocean Coast Manage. 82: 34-42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2013.05.004
Tambiah C. 1999. Interviews and market surveys. In: Eckert KL, Bjorndal KA, Abreu-Grobois FA, Donnelly M, editors. Research and management techniques for the conservation of sea turtles. Washington: IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group. p. 156-163.
Troëng S, Rankin E. 2005. Long-term conservation efforts contribute to positive green turtle Chelonia mydas nesting trend at Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Biol Cons. 121 (1): 111-116. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2004.04.014
[USAID] United States Agency for International Development. 2014. Sea turtle conservation and improvement of coastal communities livelihoods program. [accessed 2023 Dec 22]. Antiguo Cuscatlán: Fundación Zoológica de El Salvador (FUNZEL). www.funzel.org.
Uzair Rusli M, Samsol S, Pelf Nyok C. 2020. Sea turtle egg online shopping during Covid-19 movement control order (mco) in Malaysia. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter. 32: 2-5.
[Venezuela] República Bolivariana de Venezuela. 2005. Ley Orgánica de Pueblos y Comunidades Indígenas. Ministerio del Poder Popular para los Pueblos Indígenas. Caracas: Asamblea Nacional.
Witherington B, Michae, B, Herren R. 2006. Chelonia mydas-green turtle. Biology and conservation of Florida turtles. Chelonian Res Monogr. 3: 90-104.
Zahirul-Islam M. 2020. Impact of COVID-19 on sea turtle nesting, conservation and management in Bangladesh. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter. 32: 5-6.
Zeigler J. 1964. The hydrography and sediments of the Gulf of Venezuela. Limnol Oceanogr. 9: 397-411.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Royner Carrasquero-Labarca, Matthew Ware, Jordano Palmar, Daniela Rojas-Cañizales, Héctor Barrios-Garrido
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors of articles published in Marine and Fishery Sciences retain copyright on their articles, except for any third-party images and other materials added by Marine and Fishery Sciences, which are subject to copyright of their respective owners. Authors are therefore free to disseminate and re-publish their articles, subject to any requirements of third-party copyright owners and subject to the original publication being fully cited. Visitors may also download and forward articles subject to the citation requirements. The ability to copy, download, forward or otherwise distribute any materials is always subject to any copyright notices displayed. Copyright notices must be displayed prominently and may not be obliterated, deleted or hidden, totally or partially.
This journal offers authors an Open Access policy. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other legal purpose within the Creative Commons 4.0 license (BY-NC-SA), without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of Open Access.
