Page 48 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

as Critically Endangered. This was on account of its small
population size, a small but continuing decline, a restricted
range (area of occupancy = 1,500 km ) and a single
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location (one genetic stock, even though its distribution
at sea overlaps that of the South-East Atlantic Ocean
subpopulation; Wallace et al. 2013b).
The main threats to the SWIO Loggerhead Turtle
subpopulation are by-catch in mainly longline and gill-net
fisheries (including those protecting bathing beaches)
and direct harvesting (Nel and Casale 2015). Fisheries
bycatch was considered the biggest threat to the SWIO
Loggerhead Turtle, whilst for Leatherbacks harvests of
eggs and of grown animals at-sea and on nesting beaches
persisted in Mozambique (Wallace et al. 2013b).
A Leatherback Turtle in KZN (photo S Bachoo)
References
In KZN, in 2021/22 the total of emergences counted for
Leatherback Turtles was 531 and that of nests 493 (Bachoo Avens L, Snover ML. 2013. Age and age estimation in sea turtles.
2022). These values may be compared with totals of 431 In: Wyneken J, Lohmann KJ, Musick JA (eds). The Biology
emergences and 414 nests obtained in 2014/15 (Bachoo of Sea Turtles Volume III. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida,
2021). Although numbers of emergences and nests in the USA: 97–133.
Index Area show long term stability, the nesting population Bachoo S. 2021. Sea-turtle monitoring and conservation in
in northern KZN in 2021/22 was considered dangerously KwaZulu-Natal – a report on activities during the 2020/2021
low on account of the small number of females nesting season. Unpublished report of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal
(Bachoo 2021). Wildlife: 32 pp.
The longshore distributions of emergences and nests Bachoo S. 2022. 2021/2022 Interim Sea Turtle Nesting Report.
of Leatherback Turtles off the coast of northern KZN in Unpublished report of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife: 8
pp.
2020/21 are shown in Figure 5. Unlike Loggerhead Turtles, Casale P, Tucker AD. 2017. Caretta caretta (amended version
peaks and troughs in numbers of nests and emergences of 2015 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened
were evenly spread between the Mozambique border and Species 2017: e.T3897A119333622.
Sodwana Bay. Godfrey MH, Godley BJ. 2008. Seeing past the red: flawed IUCN
global listings for sea turtles. Endangered Species Research
Green Turtle 6: 155–159.
Hughes GR. 1989. Sea turtles. In: Payne AIL, Crawford RJM
A Green Turtle nested at a site approximately 2 km north (eds). Oceans of Life off Southern Africa. Vlaeberg, Cape
of Mabibi on 16 January 2014. KZN beaches are not Town: 231–243.
traditional nesting grounds for this species and the record IUCN. 2020. IUCN Red List version 2020-1. https://www.
is considered incidental. iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 07 May 2020.
Nel R. 2014. 50 years of turtle conservation, monitoring and
research: a state-of-knowledge report for Ezemvelo KZN
Conservation status Wildlife. Unpublished report of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal
Wildlife and iSimangaliso Wetland Park: 43 pp.
In terms of criteria of the International Union for Nel R, Bachoo S. 2011. Season report: turtle monitoring 2010-
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global conservation 2011. Unpublished report of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal
status of Loggerhead Turtle improved this century from Wildlife and iSimangaliso Wetland Park: 199 pp.
Endangered (Godfrey and Godley 2008) to Vulnerable Nel R, Casale P. 2015. Caretta caretta (South West Indian Ocean
(Casale and Tucker 2017) and that of Leatherback Turtle subpopulation). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
from Critically Endangered (Godfrey and Godley 2008) to 2015: e.T84199475A84199755.
Vulnerable (Wallace et al. 2013a). Tucek J, Nel R, Girondot M, Hughes G. 2014. Age-size relationship
The SWIO Loggerhead Turtle subpopulation is at reproduction of South African female loggerhead turtles
classified as Near Threatened (NT), a more favourable Caretta caretta. Endangered Species Research 23: 167–
175.
category than for the global population. Its NT status was Wallace BP, Tiwari M, Girondot M. 2013a. Dermochelys
based on the subpopulation being genetically distinct coriacea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.
from others, having a restricted range (area of occupancy e.T6494A43526147.
< 2,000 km ) and fewer than 10 locations (Nel and Casale Wallace BP, Tiwari M, Girondot M. 2013b. Dermochelys coriacea
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2015). By contrast, despite the improved global outlook for (Southwest Indian Ocean subpopulation). The IUCN Red
Leatherback Turtle, its SWIO subpopulation is classified List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T4696783A46967866.

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