Vol. 62, 2023
(update: 2023.1.1)
Twenty Years of Sea Turtle Strandings in New Caledonia
Tyffen Read1,*, Richard Farman1, Jean-Christophe Vivier2, Frederic Avril3, Hugues Gossuin1, and Laurent Wantiez4
doi:-
1Laboratory
of Marine Biology and Ecology, Aquarium des Lagons, Noumea, New
Caledonia. *Correspondence: E-mail: tyffen_read@hotmail.com (Read)
E-mail: xxx@xxx.xxx (Gossuin)
2Clinique Vétérinaire Ste Marie, Noumea, New Caledonia. E-mail: richard.farman@aquarium.nc (farman)
3Po box 222, 98825, Pouembout, New Caledonia. E-mail: fred_avril@hotmail.com (Vivier)
4UMR9220
Entropie, LabEx Corail, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Noumea,
New Caledonia. E-mail: laurent.wantiez@unc.nc (Wantiez)
(Received 9 June 2021 / Accepted 25 October 2022 / Published – 2023)
Communicated by Benny K.K. Chan
In
this study, we investigated cause-specific temporal and spatial trends
in sea turtle strandings in New Caledonia. Five species of sea turtles
were recorded in the 406 strandings documented between January 1999 and
March 2021. Green turtles represented the majority of the stranded
species (68%), reflecting the importance of the resident green turtle
population in New Caledonian waters. Nearly half of the individuals
stranded were juveniles (48%). The great majority of strandings were
recorded in the South Province, the most populous province of New
Caledonia (73%). The main cause of the strandings was classified as
unknown (50%), followed by poaching (17%), by-catch (15%), collision
(10%), natural (8%), plastic ingestion (0.5%) and other (0.5%). This
study is the first official record of the presence and relative
importance of fibropapilloma in New Caledonia, but we could not
determine if it was the cause of death for the stranded individuals.
Two individuals, after necropsies, were found to have ingested plastic
(one in 2011 and the other in 2020). This is the first record of
plastic ingestion for sea turtles in New Caledonia. Significant trends
were also found during the study: an increase in the number of
individuals reported in the study since 2004; a seasonal effect, with
most strandings occurring in summer (November to January); and
stranding hotspots. Rehabilitation allowed for 35% of individuals found
alive to be released back in the wild. This study suggests that
mitigation strategies such as “go slow” zones and a robust stranding
network should be put in place in New Caledonia.
Key words: Megafauna, Bycatch, Anthropogenic impact, Rehabilitation, Management.
Citation:
Read T, Farman R, Vivier J, Avril F, Gossuin H, Wantiez L. 2023. Twenty
years of sea turtle strandings in New Caledonia. Zool Stud 62:01.

Supplementary
materials: Appendix 1
|