The reporting by seismic crews of turtle entrapment in seismic equipment should be strongly encouraged both by contractors and oil/gas companies, and the data compiled to facilitate the development of effective solutions to the issue.  The type of information that is required is indicated in Box 1. 

Many of these questions could be addressed simply by asking seismic crews to describe or photograph turtles trapped within tail buoys, and to photograph the turtle's carapace and head once the animal is removed.  This would allow species identification, and offer insights into how the animals are becoming trapped.  Simple records of turtle entrapment events, including associated data on their size, species (when known), position (GPS), sea state, tail buoy type and presence/absence of turtle guards would provide some indication of the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of various designs of turtle guard.  At present it is unclear whether turtle guards work effectively for all sizes and species of turtle.  For example, does reducing the size of the tail buoy gaps through the use of turtle guards reduce the entrapment of adults but increase the capture of juvenile turtles or smaller species?  This information is vital if an effective solution is to be developed.

It is crucial to emphasise that accurate and open reporting of turtle mortality events is viewed as a constructive action.  Many seismic personnel are understandably reluctant to report turtle mortality in case it is viewed negatively by the environmental sector.  However, given that we now know this problem is widespread and frequent in some areas, seismic contractors and oil/gas companies should encourage open reporting of all turtle mortalities as a standard HSE requirement.

It is suggested that two types of reporting should be implemented to better understand the turtle mortality problem, and these are described below.

Box 1. Key data to acquire from seismic crews

Turtle species involved:

• Which species are becoming trapped?

Size range of turtles involved:

• What size are the trapped turtles?  This information is vital for designing effective 'turtle guards'

Method of entrapment:

• How do turtles become trapped?  Inside the buoy?  Across the tow chains? It is important to understand the mechanism of entrapment in order to design effective solutions

Geographic areas where turtle entrapment occurs:

• Is turtle entrapment restricted to particular geographic areas, or is it widespread?

Frequency of turtle entrapment:

• How often does entrapment occur?

Tail buoy designs where entrapment occurs:

• Do all types of tail buoy trap turtles or is it a result of particular designs?

Effectiveness of installed 'turtle guards':

• Does the presence of 'turtle guards' prevent (or significantly reduce) the entrapment of turtles within tail buoys?