Loggerhead Turtle Bycatch in the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia: An Overview

The loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, is considered the most common sea turtle species in the Mediterranean and is therefore included in most international wildlife conservation treaties (Eckert et al. 2000). Groombridge (1990) recommended that this species should be possibly considered as critically endangered for the Mediterranean region. The main nesting concentrations of the loggerhead turtle in the Mediterranean are confined almost exclusively to the eastern basin (mainly Greece, Cyprus, Libya and Turkey) (Margaritoulis et al. 2003). Demographic studies indicate that the loss of late juveniles (straight carapace length = 30 to 80 cm) and adults has a more dramatic impact on populations than the loss of younger individuals such as eggs, hatchlings and younger juveniles (Crouse et al. 1987). Therefore, although rookery protection has been a priority for marine turtle conservation, this measure will be unsuccessful without the effective protection of large juveniles and adults. In fact, the impact of fishery related mortalities is one of the most important anthropogenic factors for loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean. An assessment of fisheries interactions and associated mortalities is one of the priorities adopted by the Action Plan for the Conservation of Mediterranean Marine Turtles (RAC/SPA 2001).