Commercial trade in endangered Commercial trade in endangered speciesspecies

• Man has always used products of Man has always used products of animals and plants.animals and plants.

•Now many species become Now many species become endangered.endangered.

• CITES was formed to save those CITES was formed to save those speciesspecies

Sea turtlesSea turtles

• Sea turtles are examples of the endangered species. • They are cold-blooded animals that live only in the warmer parts of the world.• They are highly migratory

Sea turtles speciesSea turtles species

• Scientists currently recognize 8 species of sea turtles world wide.• Five species only are found in Egypt which are:

Green TurtleLoggerhead TurtleLeatherback Turtle

Hawksbill TurtleOlive ridley Turtle

Sea turtle are threatenedSea turtle are threatened• Sea turtle species are declining in numbers and listed as endangered

species by CITES.• There are natural constrains in the life of Sea Turtles.

Threats

Natural Human-induced

Predation 3 main threats in Egypt:

1) pollution 2) beach activities 3) commercial fishing

Threats to sea turtlesThreats to sea turtles• Natural threats:• Different predators to the different stages of Sea Turtle

• Human induced threats:

1- Beach activities

2- Pollution

33 - -Commercial fishing and tradeCommercial fishing and trade

• The commercial trade in sea turtles is seen in Egypt, one of CITES signatory countries.

• Turtles have been continuously exploited in Egypt since pharonic times.

• They are sold in Egypt for their meat, blood and shells.

Sea turtles trade in AlexandriaSea turtles trade in Alexandria

•In Mediterranean Sea, 3 species of sea turtles occur; Green, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles.• Alexandria includes the most important fish markets of the sea-turtle trade in Egypt

• MEDASSET visited El-Anphoshi fish market to measure the exploration rate of sea turtles in this market.

Exploration of the sea turtle trade in the fish market of Alexandria

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December January February March April May

Month

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Both Loggerhead and Green Turtles were seen on display for sale, with the majority (about 85%) being Loggerhead.

• MEDASSET used a questionnaire for collecting data from a target group of people about:

– Public awareness:knowing that turtles are an endangered species

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80

first subgroup second subgroup third subgroup

targeted subgroups

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25% from the 1st subgroup, 8.8% from the 2nd and 46.3% from the 3rd knew that the sea turtles are an endangered species

– Law enforcement:knowing that the turtle trade is illegal

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80

first subgroup second subgroup third subgroup

targeted subgroup

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26.6% from the 1st subgroup, 14.9% from the 2nd and 8.8% from the 3rd knew that the sea turtle trade is illegal according to the Egyptian law

ConclusionConclusion

From this questionnaire, the sea turtle trade continues in the fish market of Alexandria due to lack of law enforcement in implementing the current national environmental law (law # 4 /1994, Act 28) and a lack of awareness of local people about the sea-turtle situation.

Conservation actionsConservation actions

• The role of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency in controlling this trade.

• Public awareness campaigns to Bedouin in Sinai and to fishermen in Alexandria

RecommendationsRecommendations

• It is important to establish Protected Areas along the Mediterranean coast in the important areas for sea turtles to conserve them.

• Zaranik is a good example of a Protected Areas that has helped to save sea turtles.

• Zaranik is located in North Sinai and declared a protected area in 1985.• Loggerhead and Green Turtles are known to breed in it.• In Zaranik, a hatchery has been established to save sea turtles eggs.