As threats to the species increase, scientists say the findings offer policymakers and conservation groups much-needed guidance as to which marine sites should be prioritized for protection. The study found that nearly half of nesting loggerheads from Cyprus, for example, go to the Tunisian Plateau to feed. The satellite data, which tracked populations of loggerheads from nesting grounds in Greece and Cyprus, found the turtles did not adjust their foraging sites even as threats worsened. According to the conservation group the Society for the Protection of Turtles in North Cyprus (SPOT), at least 10,000 turtles die as accidental bycatch off North Africa each year, and there remains an illegal turtle meat industry. The study, published in the journal Biodiversity Research, “allows prioritization of conservation resources to specific threats in specific areas,” says Robin Snape, of SPOT.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 24, 2020 15:00 UTC