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

CEP Technical Report No. 17
be dug to the same depth as the original nest so that the temperature of incubation is not altered.
Hatchlings should always be allowed to emerge from the nest naturally and traverse the beach
unaided as soon as they emerge. Hatchlings should never be retained as pets. Each hatchling is
very important and contributes to the probability that enough turtles will mature to perpetuate the
population. These hatchlings, when mature in about 20-30 years, will return to the beaches of St.
Kitts/Nevis to lay the eggs of the next generation.
4.29 Monitor stocks
It is a recommendation of this Recovery Action Plan that sea turtle populations, at least
breeding populations, be closely monitored for long-term fluctuations in numbers that will reveal
the success or failure of conservation efforts. Index Beaches on each island should be selected
for intensive monitoring. Volunteers should be solicited to participate in monitoring
programmes; training workshops should be convened as needed (section 4.55). Research to
provide statistical estimates of stocks should be encouraged and a long-term stock assessment
programme to identify trends over a period of decades should be developed [N.B. population
monitoring should continue for at least one sea turtle generation; that is, about 25 years]. A
government office or conservation organization on each island should be designated to function
as a repository for statistical data. The following subsections articulate acceptable methodology
regarding monitoring nests, hatchlings, and the larger size classes of turtles. A preliminary
time-table and budget for the monitoring effort are presented in section 4.6.
4.291 Nests
Leatherbacks, green turtles, and hawksbills lay their eggs in St. Kitts/Nevis (section II).
Leatherback nesting is likely to commence in March or April, followed by green turtles in June,
and hawksbills in July. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, leatherbacks generally terminate nesting by
mid-July, but the other species will continue to nest into the winter season, with hawksbills
active through December or later. Monitoring the deposition of eggs provides a wealth of useful
information, including the distribution and timing of the breeding effort, the species involved, the
location of the most important breeding habitats, and nest fate. Any successful management
programme must be based on accurate estimates of productivity (the number of nests laid) and
mortality (losses due to erosion, feral animals, crabs, birds, mongooses, poachers, etc.).
Monitoring nests will also provide baseline data with which to evaluate the success of nest and
habitat protection efforts. Positive results may not be seen right away, however, since eggs
protected today are not likely to mature into breeding adults for two decades or more.
Nest monitoring efforts to date have relied on reports from residents and crawl counts
obtained by Fisheries personnel, local volunteers, or visiting biologists. The number of crawls
counted has formed the basis for comparison among beaches and among years. There has never
been an attempt to monitor nesting activity for an entire breeding season, nor has there been
reliable differentiation between successful egg-laying (a nesting crawl) and unsuccessful
egg-laying (a "false crawl"). Such a determination is problematic after the fact. Whether or not
eggs are deposited depends on obstacles (erosion bluffs, fallen trees, beach lagoons) encountered
by the female during the course of her time on the beach, disturbance (human activity, dogs,
lighting), the physical condition of the site chosen (she may encounter impenetrable roots, buried
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