World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

COMORO ISLANDSPOPULATION:Chelonia mydaaNesting sites Frazier (1985) recorded only one C. mydas nest pit onGrande Comore and none on Anjouan; although not all beaches were examined byFrazier, suitable nesting habitat is very limited and C. mydas nesting onthese two islands is likely to be very sparse. In contrast, Moh6li supportsan important nesting population. A total of about 92 beaches exist onMoheli and its satellite islets; 30 of the 84 beaches examined in 1972-1973had evidence of C. mydas nesting (certain others had C. mydas remains, butno nests, and nesting was reported to occur on some other beaches) (Frazier,1985). Twenty-four of these 30, mostly sites scattered around the mainisland, supported low intensity nesting; six showed high intensity nesting.Two of these sites are at the western extremity of Moheli, three are on theisland of Chissioua Ouenefou (just south of Moheli itself), and one - themost important single beach - is at the eastern extremity of Moheli(Frazier, 1985).Nesting numbers Frazier (1985) has provided estimates of C. mydas nestsper year, and total nesting females per year on Moheli, on the basis offield surveys he carried out in 1972 and 1973. These data are summarised inTable 44. Nesting numbers on Grande Comore and Anjouan, the two other mainislands in the country, are insignificant.Table 44. Estimates of numbers of nests and total nesting females peryear on Moheli (after Frazier, 1985).Nests per year Females per year24 minor beaches 1000Importantbeaches