Spanish waters are exclusive to specimens from Atlantic African nesting beaches,
whereas no specimens with this haplotype have been found in populations in the
eastern Mediterranean (Monzón-Arguello et al. 2011). In 2018, two adult individuals
were accidentally entangled in a small tuna trap net close to Ceuta (a Spanish city on
the southern Alboran coast) (A. García De los Ríos y los Huertos, Personal Communication). They were subsequently released with a satellite tags. Several months
later, one was recorded in the Alboran Sea, and the other was recorded in the Atlantic
close to Mauritania. There is a record of one stranding in the Cuevas de Almanzora
area (Almeria), which is within the limits of the Alboran Sea.
Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are regular visitors to the
Alboran Sea (Camiñas 1998; Casale et al. 2003). Large specimens, live or dead,
have been observed in this area. However, little is known about the biology or
migration patterns of leatherbacks on the Andalusia coast due to their low presence
in this area (Camiñas 1998). Camiñas and Valeiras (2001) highlighted the Strait of
Gibraltar region as a key for loggerheads and leatherbacks. Lalire and Gaspar (2019)
recently modelled the distribution of juvenile leatherbacks, finding that those
observed in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar mainly came from western Atlantic
beaches.
An association has been found between stranding frequency on the Andalusian
coast and climatic oscillations (Báez et al. 2012). Between 1997 and 2015, three
Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles were stranded on Andalusian coasts
adjacent to the Atlantic, but none were stranded on coasts by the Alboran Sea
(Bellido et al. 2018a). However, individual specimens of this species have been
recorded within the Mediterranean Sea (Tomás et al. 2003; Insacco and Spadola
2010; Carreras et al. 2014). Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that this species
sometimes transits the Alboran Sea.
The main threats to sea turtles are collisions with fishing vessels, interactions with
fishing activities, and bycatch (Bellido et al. 2018a). Bycatch is the main threat to sea
turtles in the Mediterranean Sea and, by extension, in the Alboran Sea (Lewison et al.
2004; Lucchetti and Sala 2010). In the Alboran Sea, sea turtles are bycaught on
several types of fishing gear: driftnets (Tudela et al. 2005; Benhardouze et al.
2012b), drifting longlines (Valeiras and Camiñas 2001; Báez et al. 2007), bottom
trawling (Báez et al. 2006), trammel nets (Báez et al. 2006; Lozano et al. 2011), and
trap nets and another artisanal gear (Báez et al. 2006). There is a lack of reliable
information on the relative contribution of each fishing gear to the total bycatch.
Báez et al. (2006) suggested that longlines are the greatest source of bycatch in the
Alboran Sea. However, changes in fishery strategies, including longline métiers
targeting swordfish in deeper waters, have driven a substantial decrease in sea turtle
bycatch within the western Mediterranean Sea (Báez et al. 2019).
Báez et al. (2011) showed that sea turtle bycatch in the Alboran Sea is more
dependent on distance to the coast distance than to fishing effort or other technological factors. Thus, the probability of bycatching a loggerhead turtle increases as
distance to the coast increases. On the other hand, the bycatch frequency and size
differentiation of loggerhead turtles are a function of surface longline gear type
(Báez et al. 2013).
716
J. C. Báez et al.
whereas no specimens with this haplotype have been found in populations in the
eastern Mediterranean (Monzón-Arguello et al. 2011). In 2018, two adult individuals
were accidentally entangled in a small tuna trap net close to Ceuta (a Spanish city on
the southern Alboran coast) (A. García De los Ríos y los Huertos, Personal Communication). They were subsequently released with a satellite tags. Several months
later, one was recorded in the Alboran Sea, and the other was recorded in the Atlantic
close to Mauritania. There is a record of one stranding in the Cuevas de Almanzora
area (Almeria), which is within the limits of the Alboran Sea.
Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are regular visitors to the
Alboran Sea (Camiñas 1998; Casale et al. 2003). Large specimens, live or dead,
have been observed in this area. However, little is known about the biology or
migration patterns of leatherbacks on the Andalusia coast due to their low presence
in this area (Camiñas 1998). Camiñas and Valeiras (2001) highlighted the Strait of
Gibraltar region as a key for loggerheads and leatherbacks. Lalire and Gaspar (2019)
recently modelled the distribution of juvenile leatherbacks, finding that those
observed in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar mainly came from western Atlantic
beaches.
An association has been found between stranding frequency on the Andalusian
coast and climatic oscillations (Báez et al. 2012). Between 1997 and 2015, three
Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles were stranded on Andalusian coasts
adjacent to the Atlantic, but none were stranded on coasts by the Alboran Sea
(Bellido et al. 2018a). However, individual specimens of this species have been
recorded within the Mediterranean Sea (Tomás et al. 2003; Insacco and Spadola
2010; Carreras et al. 2014). Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that this species
sometimes transits the Alboran Sea.
The main threats to sea turtles are collisions with fishing vessels, interactions with
fishing activities, and bycatch (Bellido et al. 2018a). Bycatch is the main threat to sea
turtles in the Mediterranean Sea and, by extension, in the Alboran Sea (Lewison et al.
2004; Lucchetti and Sala 2010). In the Alboran Sea, sea turtles are bycaught on
several types of fishing gear: driftnets (Tudela et al. 2005; Benhardouze et al.
2012b), drifting longlines (Valeiras and Camiñas 2001; Báez et al. 2007), bottom
trawling (Báez et al. 2006), trammel nets (Báez et al. 2006; Lozano et al. 2011), and
trap nets and another artisanal gear (Báez et al. 2006). There is a lack of reliable
information on the relative contribution of each fishing gear to the total bycatch.
Báez et al. (2006) suggested that longlines are the greatest source of bycatch in the
Alboran Sea. However, changes in fishery strategies, including longline métiers
targeting swordfish in deeper waters, have driven a substantial decrease in sea turtle
bycatch within the western Mediterranean Sea (Báez et al. 2019).
Báez et al. (2011) showed that sea turtle bycatch in the Alboran Sea is more
dependent on distance to the coast distance than to fishing effort or other technological factors. Thus, the probability of bycatching a loggerhead turtle increases as
distance to the coast increases. On the other hand, the bycatch frequency and size
differentiation of loggerhead turtles are a function of surface longline gear type
(Báez et al. 2013).
716
J. C. Báez et al.