356
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. II
14.1 INTRODUCTION
For animals that spend most of their lives within the vast expanse of our planet’s
oceans, the lives of sea turtles and humans are remarkably interconnected. The
history of these interconnections describes effects that are largely negative from a
sea turtle perspective — effects that have resulted in declines in sea turtle abundance,
extirpation of some populations, and the loss of some unique sea turtle phenomena.
However, recently in the history of sea turtle and human interactions, conservationists
have begun to observe some interconnections that are not all bad news for sea turtles.
Descriptions of the plight of sea turtles in the modern world focus principally
on sea turtle–human associations that are either predator and prey or amensal (where
one associate is harmed and the other receives no effect). Of these, the roles of
predator and prey have been played the longest. For millennia, humans have preyed
on sea turtles and have benefited from uses ranging from food and adornments to
putative drugs and mystic talismans (Chapters 1 and 12, this volume). Although the
period of human use of sea turtles is short by evolutionary standards, there has been
sufficient time for this use to become incorporated into many human cultures. In
the recent era of human industry, humans and sea turtles remain predator and prey,
but within the broad reach of industrial human cultures, associations between sea
turtles and humans have become amensal as well. In this amensal association, sea
turtles are harmed by an expanding array of human activities for which sea turtle
interactions are merely incidental (Lutcavage et al., 1997). These activities include
fisheries that target other prey species, as well as many other activities that take
place as part of commonplace industrial human habitation. This spoor of everyday
living includes accidental spillage of petroleum, discard of plastics, errant artificial
lighting, and placement of hardened shoreline-protection structures on sea turtle
nesting beaches.
The arguable good news for sea turtle conservation is that sea turtles — not just
harvested ones, but those living freely as well — have value to human beings. The
extent to which this value is realized varies a great deal between cultures and
individuals. Yet, it is a critical concept for sea turtle conservationists to consider, for
it is the arguable driving force behind both the use of sea turtles and their preservation.
High value is both boon and bane to sea turtle conservation. Human-recognized
value can benefit conservation because it serves as a reason to moderate our predatory
and amensal relationships with sea turtles. That is, it can justify our regulatory
decisions to use sea turtles without using them up. Furthermore, recognizing what
we gain from sea turtles also might justify associations with sea turtles that are
positive for them. Commensal associations, benefiting sea turtles and having no cost
to humans, and mutualistic associations, having benefits for both parties, each seem
possible within many conservation programs. The bane of value to sea turtles is that
they are coveted for harvests that proceed despite a desire, even by harvesters, to
conserve sea turtles. It is as if we cannot help ourselves. Through actions by wellmeaning people, and with decisions that are perfectly rational from an economic
perspective, high value can drive sea turtle species to extinction.
1123 book.book Page 356 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. II
14.1 INTRODUCTION
For animals that spend most of their lives within the vast expanse of our planet’s
oceans, the lives of sea turtles and humans are remarkably interconnected. The
history of these interconnections describes effects that are largely negative from a
sea turtle perspective — effects that have resulted in declines in sea turtle abundance,
extirpation of some populations, and the loss of some unique sea turtle phenomena.
However, recently in the history of sea turtle and human interactions, conservationists
have begun to observe some interconnections that are not all bad news for sea turtles.
Descriptions of the plight of sea turtles in the modern world focus principally
on sea turtle–human associations that are either predator and prey or amensal (where
one associate is harmed and the other receives no effect). Of these, the roles of
predator and prey have been played the longest. For millennia, humans have preyed
on sea turtles and have benefited from uses ranging from food and adornments to
putative drugs and mystic talismans (Chapters 1 and 12, this volume). Although the
period of human use of sea turtles is short by evolutionary standards, there has been
sufficient time for this use to become incorporated into many human cultures. In
the recent era of human industry, humans and sea turtles remain predator and prey,
but within the broad reach of industrial human cultures, associations between sea
turtles and humans have become amensal as well. In this amensal association, sea
turtles are harmed by an expanding array of human activities for which sea turtle
interactions are merely incidental (Lutcavage et al., 1997). These activities include
fisheries that target other prey species, as well as many other activities that take
place as part of commonplace industrial human habitation. This spoor of everyday
living includes accidental spillage of petroleum, discard of plastics, errant artificial
lighting, and placement of hardened shoreline-protection structures on sea turtle
nesting beaches.
The arguable good news for sea turtle conservation is that sea turtles — not just
harvested ones, but those living freely as well — have value to human beings. The
extent to which this value is realized varies a great deal between cultures and
individuals. Yet, it is a critical concept for sea turtle conservationists to consider, for
it is the arguable driving force behind both the use of sea turtles and their preservation.
High value is both boon and bane to sea turtle conservation. Human-recognized
value can benefit conservation because it serves as a reason to moderate our predatory
and amensal relationships with sea turtles. That is, it can justify our regulatory
decisions to use sea turtles without using them up. Furthermore, recognizing what
we gain from sea turtles also might justify associations with sea turtles that are
positive for them. Commensal associations, benefiting sea turtles and having no cost
to humans, and mutualistic associations, having benefits for both parties, each seem
possible within many conservation programs. The bane of value to sea turtles is that
they are coveted for harvests that proceed despite a desire, even by harvesters, to
conserve sea turtles. It is as if we cannot help ourselves. Through actions by wellmeaning people, and with decisions that are perfectly rational from an economic
perspective, high value can drive sea turtle species to extinction.
1123 book.book Page 356 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM