WHEREAS leatherback turtles are valued for scientific, socioeconomic, and cultural reasons;

WHEREAS the Pacific leatherback turtle nesting population has plummeted from 91,000 in 1980 to less than 5,000 in 2002;

WHEREAS the Pacific leatherback turtle has shown a 95% decline throughout its range in the last 22 years and is in imminent danger of extinction;

WHEREAS the principal threat to Pacific leatherback turtles are pelagic longlines, gillnets, unsustainable exploitation of eggs and destruction of nesting habitat;

WHEREAS pelagic longline and gillnet fisheries are causing unsustainable mortality to sea turtles, seabirds, sharks, bluefin tuna, billfish and other species;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
The undersigned Pacific Leatherback Survival Conferees:

Request that the governments of all nations where Pacific leatherback turtles nest immediately protect these sites, stop egg collection and maximize hatchling survival;

Request that emergency national and international funds be appropriated to implement all conservation actions necessary for the survival of the species;

Call on the United Nations, United States and all other nations to institute a moratorium on pelagic longline, gillnet and other fisheries harmful to Pacific leatherback turtles until such activities can be conducted without harm to the species, with allocation of transitional aid to affected fishers and communities.

Signed this day the 25th of April, 2002, at the Asilmoar Conference Center, Monterey, California,

Randall Arauz, Mario A Boza, Juan Carlos Cantu, Didiher Chacon, Larry Crowder, Scott Eckert, Tim Eichenberg, Sylvia Earle, Charlotte Flinn, Isaac D. Harp, Ken Hinman, H.C. Liew, Rod Mast, Wallace J. Nichols, Frank Paladino, Carl Safina, James Spotila, Todd Steiner, Kelly Stewart, Jack Woody, Erica Heimberg, Jennifer Perez, Doug Israel, Read Vanderbilt, Reuven Walder, Sheda Morshed (partial list 4/26/02)