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

St. Kitts and Nevis Sea Turtles…
passed, the nest can be excavated and the number of hatchlings roughly estimated from the
remains of broken egg shells. In addition, unhatched (whole) eggs can be counted to determine
the proportion of eggs which did not produce hatchlings. These eggs can be opened for an
analysis of embryo stage death. If a particular problem recurs, such as nest flooding, then a
conservation programme to move eggs either at oviposition or early the next morning to higher
ground should be considered. In this case, it is crucial that nest dimensions (depth and width)
reflect the original so that incubation temperature and hence hatchling sex is not distorted. An
in-depth evaluation of hatch success should be undertaken by trained personnel at selected
important nesting beaches as soon as resources permit.
4.293 Immature and adult turtles
The monitoring of juvenile and adult turtles at sea requires special preparation and can be
considerably more difficult than counting nests or evaluating hatchling mortality. In order to
monitor foraging juveniles, systematic surveys of specific foraging grounds must be undertaken.
If such survey work is undertaken in conjunction with a tagging programme, it is possible to
evaluate both the foraging periodicities of individuals and their movements (should a tagged
turtle turn up at some point distant from where it was tagged, for instance). It is not necessary,
however, to tag individual turtles. Valuable information can be gained by repeated observation
of foraging areas and reporting the number of turtles seen. Resources are not available at the
present time to initiate population surveys at sea, nor is this seen as a top priority in St. Kitts/
Nevis. It is sufficient at this time to work toward full (and enforced) protection of sea turtles and
a long-term commitment to the preservation of nesting beaches, coral reefs, and sea grass.
4.3 Encourage and Support International Cooperation
4.31 CITES
The 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) was established to protect certain endangered species from over-exploitation by
means of a system of import/export permits. The Convention regulates international commerce
in animals and plants whether dead or alive, and any recognizable parts of derivatives thereof.
Appendix I lists endangered species (including all species of sea turtle), trade in which is tightly
controlled; Appendix II lists species that may become endangered unless trade is regulated;
Appendix III lists species that any Party wishes to regulate and requires international cooperation
to control trade; Appendix IV contains model permits. Permits are required for species listed in
appendices I and II stating that export/import will not be detrimental to the survival of the
species. CITES is one of the most widely supported wildlife treaties of all time. With the recent
accession of Barbados, the Convention has 118 Parties (USFWS, 1992). CITES does not regulate
or control any aspect of the domestic harvest and usage of species, including sea turtles; such
regulations must promulgated by the national government.
Japan entered a "reservation" on hawksbill sea turtles when it joined CITES, and so has
continued to trade in hawksbill products. There is no question that this trade has placed
considerable strain on Caribbean populations. Between 1970 and June 1989, Japan imported
368,318 kg of tortoiseshell (the colourful plates that cover the hawksbill's shell) from the Wider
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