Abstract

Sea turtles, marine mammals and sea birds are important and vulnerable components of exploited marine ecosystems. Many species are directly exploited because of the economic value of their products, others are indirectly impacted through bycatch, entanglement or prey removal, and some are key consumers that, in their natural abundance, can greatly influence the ecosystems of which they are part. An ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) requires enhanced understanding of these cumulative and synergistic interactions. Priority actions identified to minimise negative impacts on these taxa through an EAF are: an assessment of bycatch in the Caribbean region, including nearshore artisanal fisheries; monitoring programmes to fill information gaps on the distribution, abundance, life history, behaviour and health of sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds; mapping and protection of critical habitats; investigations of the ecological relationships that link sea turtles, marine mammals and sea birds either directly or indirectly with fishery resources; capacity building of local and regional NGOs; and programmes to inform fishers about the value of sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds and how they can contribute to their conservation and sustainable use. Finally, note that sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds can be indicators of ecosystem health and serve to educate and motivate the public about marine ecosystems.

Introduction

The goal of ecosystem-based management (EBM) is to maintain an ecosystem in a healthy, productive and resilient condition, so that it can continue to provide services that humans want and need. The use of this approach in fisheries management emerges from an appreciation that exploited species are not independent entities but are integral parts of the ecosystem within which they function. Sea turtles, marine mammals and sea birds are important but little understood components of exploited marine ecosystems. Many of these species are, or were, themselves directly and often heavily exploited, whilst others may be indirectly impacted by other fisheries (e.g., through bycatch, entanglement or removal of their prey), as well as by other anthropogenic environmental impacts on their predators, prey or habitats. Many of the species are themselves key predators, and changes in their population sizes may reverberate through the ecosystems of which they are a part.