The coastal waters of Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico serve as feeding and developmental ground for five species of sea turtles: the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the black turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the olive-ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Although sea turtles are protected in Mexican waters since 1990 by presidential decree, illegal and incidental fishing rates are still very high especially in the region of BCS, as turtle meat and eggs are still considered a delicacy in many areas, thus impeding population recovery.

Therefore, our project will address the following objectives:

1. Assess minimum mortality rate per species per year and identify major mortality causes in the area of BCS over a period of two years.

2. Complete a national GIS database, identifying the fishing areas corresponding to all the major local communities and compiling the respective fishing calendar.

3. Compile 200 interviews with people from all the state on sea turtle conservation issues.

4. Collect genetic samples of stranded turtles found on the beaches to identify their genetic origin.

We conducted a pilot study in 2006 to standardize the data collection method, establish a solid network of collaborators, identify sea turtle mortality hotspots, and standardize the analysis method.