The Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), through the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea, has promoted a series of measures to guarantee the protection of sea turtles and promote nesting on the Spanish coast.
The Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), through the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea, has promoted a series of measures to guarantee the protection of sea turtles and promote nesting on the Spanish coast.
Due to the effects of climate change, the distribution of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting has shifted and now also includes the western Mediterranean coasts – Italian, French and Spanish. This species is highly migratory and is listed as “vulnerable” in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species.
Proper and rapid management, which favours its settlement on the Mediterranean coast, is essential to guarantee the conservation of this species. For this reason, new action measures have been launched with coastal autonomous communities and recovery and scientific centres within the framework of the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation, dependent on MITECO.
During this season, the breeding females that arrive on our coasts will be marked for satellite monitoring, with the aim of studying their behaviour and facilitating the detection of their nests. Sea turtles usually lay their eggs on the beaches where they were born, so the success of their birth will determine that they return to our coasts to lay eggs and thus promote the conservation of the species.
According to experts, the number of nests on the Spanish Mediterranean coast is greater than what is known, so it is necessary to promote measures that contribute to their location and guarantee their survival.
Another of the measures promoted by MITECO consists of carrying out studies to analyse the environmental characteristics of the Spanish beaches chosen by turtles for spawning and determine those that would be most suitable to, where appropriate, move the nests located on beaches that are not suitable there.
The human pressure that exists on Spanish beaches is one of the main risks for these nests, so citizen collaboration is essential. If you locate a nest or specimen of sea turtle, you should immediately notify 112.
In addition, an action protocol will soon be implemented at the national level to strengthen coordination between all the agents involved in sporadic nesting events, including scientists and technicians, recovery centres and administrations.
OTHER ACTIONS FOR THE CONSERVATION OF TURTLES
Within the framework of LIFE INTEMARES, other actions have also been developed in this line. On the one hand, the behaviour of 10 loggerhead turtle hatchlings after being released on the beach of El Saler (Valencia) has been studied, in collaboration with the Valencian Community, and the creation of a common document for the recovery centres that manage stranding cases has been launched, as well as specific training actions aimed at beach staff.
MIGRATORY SPECIES
In Spain, six of the seven species of sea turtles existing in the world have been observed. Loggerhead, leatherback, green, hawksbill, olive ridley and olive ridley turtles are characterised by being highly migratory species and use Spanish waters as feeding areas, development and as a place of passage on their long transoceanic journeys.
Their populations are threatened globally due to numerous factors derived from human activities, such as the loss and degradation of essential habitats, interactions with various fisheries, pollution or marine litter.
LIFE INTEMARES
The LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, aims to achieve effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network.
The General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea of the same ministry, the IEO, the Spanish Fisheries Confederation, SEO/BirdLife and WWF-Spain participate as partners. It has the financial contribution of the European Union’s LIFE programme, among other sources of funding.
