Fishers, Sea Turtles and Sharks: Alliance for Survival

EDITORS Bojan Lazar, Matic Jančič

6TH MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE ON MARINE TURTLES, POREČ, CROATIA 2018

Book BookofofAbstracts Abstracts

Editors: Editors:

6th 6thMediterranean MediterraneanConference ConferenceononMarine MarineTurtles Turtles

Bojan BojanLazar Lazar

Valamar ValamarDiamant DiamantConference ConferenceCentre Centre

Matic MaticJančič Jančič

Poreč, Poreč,Croatia Croatia Design: Design: Ideodizajn Ideodizajn/ /ideo.hr ideo.hr

ISBN: ISBN:978-953-6645-83-1 978-953-6645-83-1 CIP CIPcatalogue cataloguerecord recordisisavailable availableatatthe theNational Nationaland andUniversity UniversityLibrary LibraryininZagreb Zagrebunder underthe thenumber number001009011 001009011 Publisher: Publisher:Croatian CroatianNatural NaturalHistory HistoryMuseum, Museum,Zagreb, Zagreb,Croatia Croatia(2018) (2018) For Forthe thePublisher: Publisher:Tatjana TatjanaVlahović Vlahović ©University ©UniversityofofPrimorska Primorska Titov Titovtrg trg4,4,SI-6000 SI-6000Koper, Koper,Slovenia, Slovenia,www.upr.si www.upr.si No Nouse useofofthis thispublication publicationininwhole wholeororininpart partisisallowed allowedfor forsale saleororfor forany anyother othercommercial commercialpurpose purposewithout withoutwritten written permission permissionbybythe theUniversity UniversityofofPrimorska.

Primorska.This Thispublication publicationmay maybebeused usedfor foreducational educationalpurpose purposewithout withoutspecial specialpermispermission sionfrom fromthe thecopyright copyrightholder, holder,provided providedacknowledgement acknowledgementofofthe thesource sourceisismade. made.

The TheMediterranean MediterraneanConferences ConferencesononMarine MarineTurtles Turtlesare arejoint jointinitiatives initiativesbybythe theSecretariats Secretariatsofofthe thefollowing followingConvenConventions: tions: • •Convention Conventionfor forthe theProtection Protectionofofthe theMediterranean MediterraneanSea Seaagainst againstPollution Pollution(Barcelona (BarcelonaConvention) Convention) • •Convention Conventionononthe theConservation ConservationofofEuropean EuropeanWildlife Wildlifeand andNatural NaturalHabitats Habitats(Bern (BernConvention) Convention) • •Convention Conventionononthe theConservation ConservationofofMigratory MigratorySpecies SpeciesofofWild WildAnimals Animals(Bonn (BonnConvention) Convention)

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The Thedesignations designationsemployed employedand andthe thepresentation presentationofofthe thematerial materialininthis thisdocument documentdodonot notimply implythe theexpression expressionofofany anyopinion opinion whatsoever whatsoeverononthe thepart partofofthe theorganizations organizationsinvolved involvedininthe theorganization organizationofofthe theConference Conferenceconcerning concerningthe thelegal legalstatus statusofof any anyState, State,Territory, Territory,city cityororarea, area,ororofofitsitsauthorities, authorities,ororconcerning concerningthe thedelimitation delimitationofoftheir theirfrontiers frontiersororboundaries.The boundaries.Theviews views expressed expressedininthis thisvolume volumeare arethose thoseofofthe theauthors authorsofofeach eachpaper paperand anddodonot notnecessarily necessarilyrepresent representthe theviews viewsofofthe theabove above mentioned mentionedorganizations. organizations.

This Thispublication publicationshould shouldbebecited citedasasfollows: follows: Lazar LazarB.B.and andJančič JančičM.M.(editors) (editors)2018.

2018.Book BookofofAbstracts, Abstracts,6th 6thMediterranean MediterraneanConference ConferenceofofMarine MarineTurtles, Turtles,Poreč Poreč- Croatia.

- Croatia.

168 168pp. pp.

2

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

POSTER PRESENTATIONS SESSION 4: THREATS

FISHERS, SEA TURTLES AND SHARKS: ALLIANCE FOR SURVIVAL Touloupaki E.1, Giovos I.2, Bouziotis D.1, Doumpas N.2 1 2

MEDASSET-Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles, 1c Licavitou St., 106 72 Athens, Greece iSea, Environmental Organisation for the Preservation of the Aquatic Systems, Ochi Av., 11, 55 498, Thessaloniki, Greece

The aim of the project is to study and mitigate the impacts of bycatch and ghostfishing on the sea turtle and shark populations in Greece, through awareness, capacity building and cooperation with stakeholders in the fisheries sector. It is the first known project launched in Greece with a multi-taxa approach regarding sea turtles and sharks and furthermore within the Mediterranean basin. The project focuses on five important ports of Greece, which cover a major part of the country’s fishing activity. Besides, fishing activity in the wider area of these ports coincides with five significantly protected areas that are under high pressure and are in need of research to assist in their conservation. Monitoring of fishing activities and gradual disengagement from unsustainable fishing practices is expected to have long-term positive impacts on the condition in fishing reserves, target-species and hence for biodiversity and the local

economy. A common harmonized strategy is being implemented through two lines of actions: (1) the enhancement of existing knowledge on the status of the target species, fish stocks and relevant perceptions of stakeholders, and (2) to raise awareness among fishers and relevant control authorities on the impacts of non-selective fishing methods and gears, as well as to train fishers in handling and releasing entangled species. The main expected result of the project is to increase the number of people in the fishing industry and the control authorities that can identify shark and sea turtle species, increase awareness of the need and legal obligations to protect them, in addition to increasing the use of best practices for safe release from different fishing equipment.

Presenting Author: Eleana Touloupaki (eleanatouloupaki@medasset.org)

115

Fishers, Sea Turtles & Sharks: Alliance for Survival Eleana

1 Touloupaki ,

Ioannis

2 Giovos ,

1 Bouziotis ,

Dimitris

Nikolaos

2 Doumpas

1MEDASSET-Mediterranean

Association to Save the Sea Turtles, 1C Licavitou St., 106 72 Athens, Greece 2iSea, Environmental Organisation for the Preservation of the Aquatic Systems, Ochi Av., 11, 55 498, Thessaloniki, Greece 2. IUCN STATUS OF THE TARGET SPECIES1

1. ORIGINS The project answers the need in legal commitment for the protection of sea turtles in Greece:  Barcelona International Convention, Bern Convention, Bonne Convention, CITES, PD 617/1980 (Α΄163), PD 67/1981 (Α΄23) The project answers the need in legal commitment for the protection of sharks in Greece:  Barcelona International Convention, Bern Convention, Bonne Convention, CITES, PD 67/1981 and others

• Caretta caretta – Vulnernable • Chelonia mydas – Endangered • Dermochelys coriacea - Vulnerable From the 39 species of sharks confirmed to be present in the Greek waters: • 12 species are listed as CR • 7 as EN and • 6 as VU

Ethical commitment to protect the species from these two taxa.

3. AIM A multi-taxa approach to study and mitigate the impacts of by-catch and ghostfishing on sea turtle and shark populations in Greece.  Five important ports of Greece: Piraeus, Michaniona, Kavala, Alexandroupoli, Patra  Significant protected areas under high pressure nearby  Need of research to assist in the conservation of sea turtles and sharks  Expected results ↑number of people in the fishing industry & control authorities, who can identify sea turtle and shark species, are aware of the need & legal obligations to protect them, as well as of the methods of safe release from different fishing equipment

4. METHODOLOGY Bottom-up approach  Enhancement of existing knowledge on the status of the target species, fish stocks and relevant perceptions of stakeholders  Raise awareness among fishers and relevant control authorities on the impacts of nonselective fishing methods and gears, as well as to train fishers in handling and releasing entangled species

5. AREAS OF INTEREST2 Port questionnaires

Workshops

Mobile Application

Communication

Citizen Science

6. INTERIM RESULTS3 90 80

78,9%

120

Do you incidentally catch sea turtles (per port)?

83,3% 78,5%

Do you incidentally catch sea turtles (per fishing gear)?

100%

75 % 100

70 80

60 50 %

80%

78,1%

72,7%

50 %

50

57,1%

60 40

42,8% 30

25 %

21,4%

21%

40 27,2%

16,6%

20

21,8%

20%

20 10 0% 0

0 Alexandroupoli

Kavala

Michaniona YES

Patra

Piraeus

Set nets (N=32)

NO

Purse seines (N=7) YES

90 80

Boat seines (N=1)

Longlines (N=5)

Trawlers (N=11)

NO

120 78.6%

Do you incidentally catch sharks (per port)?

73.6%

Do you incidentally catch sharks (per fishing gear)?

100.0% 100

70 61.5% 60

80 50.0%

50.0%

50.0%

50.0%

71.9%

72.7%

71.4%

50

60.0% 60

38.5%

40

40.0%

26.4%

30

40 21.4%

28.6%

28.1%

27.3%

20 20 10 0.0% 0

0 Alexandroupoli

Kavala

Michaniona YES

Follow-up project with mitigation trials using solar or wave-powered lights on static nets:

Do you want to join our project?

Set nets (N=32)

Average experience

Average boat size (m)

19

52.84

30.91

9.64

Kavala

14

50.36

25.33

23

Michaniona

6

53.17

34.33

21.03

Patra

4

48.5

22.75

17.33

13

53

28.25

24.29

Piraeus

Boat seines (N=1)

Purse seines (N=7) YES

Alexandroupoli

 Sea turtles, Sharks…and maybe more  Target fishers, who are environmentally aware and open-minded to trialing newer technologies

Piraeus

NO

N of Average age interviews

NEXT STEPS – ARE YOU INTERESTED?

Patra

Longlines (N=5)

Trawlers(N=11)

NO

 Statistical data extracted from the port questionnaires during the A’ Phase of the project.  Charts indicate sea turtle and shark bycatch rates per port and per fishing gear.  In total, 56 interviews were obtained from all five ports, with the majority of the responders being small-scale fishers (≈58%) from Alexandroupoli (≈34%). Table presents our sample characteristics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.

2.

3.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://newredlist.iucnredlist.org/ (Accessed on September 2018) ELSTAT 2016. Marine Fisheries. (Accessed on September 2018) Descriptive Statistical Data Analysis (A’ Phase). 2018. E. Touloupaki, I. Giovos, D. Bouziotis, N. Doumpas. Fishers, Sea turtles and Sharks: Alliance for Survival. Athens. Green Fund

The project “Fishers, Sea turtles and Sharks: Alliance for Survival» is funded under the financial program of the Green Fund “Natural Environment and Innovative Actions”, Strand “Natural Environment Management Actions”, Measure “Innovative Actions with Citizens” Beneficiary: MEDASSET, Partner: iSea Budget: €49.690