Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for St. Kitts and Nevis - WIDECAST

CEP Technical Report No. 17
shore marine zone (J. Robinson, pers. comm., 1992). Personal watercraft ("jet skis") are a
relatively new phenomena and are in use at South Friar's Bay. Jet skis have the potential to kill
sea turtles on impact; injury and mortality from this source should be monitored. Windsurfers
sometimes strike turtles at sea (Monty Bassett, pers. comm., 1992). Boat strikes are also a
potential problem.
IV. SOLUTIONS TO STRESSES ON SEA TURTLES IN ST. KITTS & NEVIS
4.1 Manage and Protect Habitat
It is intuitive that in order to conserve the marine resources of St. Kitts/Nevis, especially
depleted species such as sea turtles, the habitats upon which these species depend must be
protected. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including setting aside areas as
National Parks or Wildlife Reserves. Where protected area status is not feasible, regulatory
guidelines must be enforced to restrict potentially harmful activities. In the marine environment,
harmful activities can be defined to include indiscriminate anchoring, chemical pollution, and
other degradation to coral reefs and sea grass. On land, the protection of nesting beaches
requires strict controls on sand mining, coastal lighting, beach armouring, etc. The first step in
the effective management of habitat is to identify which areas are truly important (section 4.11).
Once this has been accomplished, specific management plans can be designed and zoning or
other regulations implemented (section 4.12). The protection of habitat important to the survival
of sea turtles should occur within a larger coastal zone management framework. Coral, sea grass
and beaches, all ecosystems crucially important to sea turtles, are also essential for the long-term
sustainability of the economy of St. Kitts/Nevis, including commercial and recreational fisheries,
coastal development, and tourism.
In the sections that follow, the identification of habitat important to turtles is discussed, as
are recommendations and mechanisms for the long term preservation of these habitats.
Recommendations are underlined for ease of reference.
4.11 Identify essential habitat
With respect to sea turtles in St. Kitts/Nevis, two broad types of marine habitat are
considered essential: sea grass and coral reefs. Green turtles depend almost exclusively on sea
grasses for food (section 2.2) and loggerheads consume a wide variety of invertebrates (section
2.1), many of whom depend on sea grass for some part of their life cycle. Protection of sea grass
is, therefore, vital for the survival and recovery of sea turtles. The great value of healthy sea
grass beds should not be defined solely in terms of sea turtles, however. Sea grasses are
characterised by an extensive root and rhizome system, dense leaf cover, high growth rates, and
high organic productivity that rivals some of the most intensive agricultural crops. Sea grasses
exert considerable influence over their environment. Their exceptionally high productivity is
supplemented by that of associated epiphytic algae and benthic and planktonic micro-algae,
which together provide food for a wide variety of marine animals.
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