World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

BURMAPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites The Green Turtle occurs, with some nesting, along theArakan and Tenasserlm coasts and the western half of the InterveningIrrawaddy Delta region, particularly on Thamihla Kyun (Diamond Island)(Salter, 1983). However, according to Maxwell (1911: p. 6) "the greenturtle may be said to lay only on Diamond Island as the few thousand eggsdeposited by a few stray members of the species on other parts of the coastmay be left out of account altogether". Also nests, at least formerly, onPreparis Island and the Cocos group. The following paragrat>hs are based oninformation presented by Maxwell (1911) and Salter (1983).Arakan coast.Known to nest in the north of the region, on the west coast of RamreeIsland, Cheduba Island, at several smaller islands to the south of thesetwo, and at several sites along the Arakan mainland coast, south to PagodaPoint at the western extremity of the Irrawaddy Delta.Irrawaddy Delta.Nests primarily on offshore delta Islands, notably Thamihla Kyun (DiamondIsland) , also on Kadonlay Kyun and Gayedgyl Kyun and on certain mainlandbeachesTenasserlm.Sea turtles are known to nest at a few points along the Tenasserlm coast,also the Moscos Islands and the Mergul Archipelago, but little informationon the species concerned Is available. C. mydas is recorded In the Islandgroups named.Preparis Island, Cocos Islands.Large numbers formerly nested on these islands, but no recent data areavailable. The former is some 100 km south-west of the Delta, the latter170 km, and adjacent to the Andaman and Nlcobar group (India).Nesting numbers Few details are available. Nesting numbers at mostsites appear to be low or very low. The largest turtle bank in Burma,Thamihla Kyun, produces around 200 000 eggs per year, reported to be mostlyC. mydas (Salter, 1983). Maxwell (1911: p. 2) stated that this islandproduced more revenue than all other turtle banks In Burma put together; Itseems safe to assume that this implies greater egg production and hencegreater turtle nesting than elsewhere in Burma. Assuming that virtually alleggs laid are collected, which appears to be the case (Salter, 1983), andthat virtually all are C. mydas , this could represent the output of some 600females annually (if each lays three clutches of about 100 eggs).It seems most unlikely, on present Information, that total females nestingthroughout Burma in a season will exceed 1000 in number, and may well be twoto three hundred fewer than this. However, Preparis and Cocos Islands maystill support significant nesting; this should be investigated. Maxwell(1911) stated: "Mr Stanley informs me that twenty and more nests may be seenon the Cocos any morning and half that number on Oyster Island during thesprings. Maung Po Mya's expedition found large numbers of nests onPreparis." These figures suggest that 200-300 females may have nested Inthe Cocos group at the turn of the century.Trends In nesting numbers Available Information, while not extensive ordetailed, suggests a very marked decline In turtle populations has occurredin the present century. Many sites used by nesting turtles, and leased for112