100-12 Is Nautilus Being Overfished into Extinction?
Dr. Ward is doing field work in Antarctica till late March 2011 and is out of e-mail, web, and phone contact and unable to submit his abstract till after the deadline. Below is a summary of information from the CITES COP15 ANNOUNCEMENT regarding overharvest and other impacts on the genus Nautilus and the genus Allonautilus. Peter will update and replace this abstract upon his return.
“The species in these genera are slow-growing and late-maturing, with a low reproduction rate and low recovery potential, making them susceptible to overharvest. These species are native to western Pacific and Indo-Pacific coastal reefs, including the U.S. territory, American Samoa. Population declines have been reported in areas where intensive fisheries exist or have existed. The species appear to be unable to re-colonize localities from which they have been extirpated and captive breeding has not produced viable offspring beyond the hatchling stage. The primary threats to the Nautilidae family are commercial harvest and habitat loss or degradation throughout its range. The species are internationally traded as shell products, jewelry, unworked shell, trim, and live specimens, for the curio and tourist markets, and possibly for the aquarium and pet trade. More than 579,000 specimens were imported into the United States between 2005 and 2008, reported mainly from the Philippines, Indonesia, and China. Approximately 99 percent of these specimens are reported as wild-harvested.”
“The species in these genera are slow-growing and late-maturing, with a low reproduction rate and low recovery potential, making them susceptible to overharvest. These species are native to western Pacific and Indo-Pacific coastal reefs, including the U.S. territory, American Samoa. Population declines have been reported in areas where intensive fisheries exist or have existed. The species appear to be unable to re-colonize localities from which they have been extirpated and captive breeding has not produced viable offspring beyond the hatchling stage. The primary threats to the Nautilidae family are commercial harvest and habitat loss or degradation throughout its range. The species are internationally traded as shell products, jewelry, unworked shell, trim, and live specimens, for the curio and tourist markets, and possibly for the aquarium and pet trade. More than 579,000 specimens were imported into the United States between 2005 and 2008, reported mainly from the Philippines, Indonesia, and China. Approximately 99 percent of these specimens are reported as wild-harvested.”
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