ASO meeting - Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil - 3-4 october 2003

First Meeting on Research and Conservation

of Sea Turtles in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (ASO) 3-4 October, 2003

Escuela Naval – Montevideo - Uruguay

Organiza:

Centro Interdisciplinario para el Desarrollo / Proyecto Karumbé

2° Jornadas de Conservación y Uso Sustentable de la Fauna Marina

PROFAUMA /Escuela Naval

The Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (ASO) is comprised of Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil. This region include developmental/foraging habitats and migratory corridors for five of the seven species of sea turtles: Caretta caretta (tortuga cabezona, tartaruga cabeçuda, loggerhead turtle), Chelonia mydas (tortuga verde, tartaruga verde, green turtle), Dermochelys coriacea (tortuga laúd, tartaruga de couro, leatherback), Eretmochelys imbricata (tortuga carey, tartaruga de pente, hawksbill), Lepidochelys olivacea (tortuga olivácea, tartaruga oliva, olive turtle).The same ones are threatened due to human related causes such as habitat modification and incidental and direct fisheries capture of juveniles and adults.

The ASO meeting pretend to encourage other researchers and programs (involved in the conservation of sea turtles) to present project advances, discuss related activities, learn and share new techniques and ideas as well as new proposals and investigations between participants. Also, we pretend to standardize working methods between the 3 countries (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay).

The importance of this meeting lies in the necessity to attain Tri-National projects and agreements and to develop an Action Plan and a series of protocols for the protection and conservation of sea turtles in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean.