World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

MALDIVESNesting season Didi (1983) reports that nesting formerly occurredthroughout the year on Mulhadu, with a peak at the start of the north eastmonsoon (October-February). At Thiladunmathi , nesting occurs year round,with a peak starting in November, the beginning of the north-east monsoon;at Baa Atoll nesting is most active in December- January ; and at Gaadhoo(Laam) the peak nesting Is from June to December, although some nestingoccurs in all months (Frazier and Frazier, 1987).Foraging sites A large pasture of Thalassia hemprichii and Syringodiumisoetifolium exists east of Thuladhoo (Baa) but is not an Important feedingarea. Other pastures exist on the eastern and southern sides of Laam Atolland between Fonadhoo and Baraasilhoo, which are said to be favourite hauntsof feeding turtles. Large marine pastures are rare in the Maldives, leadingFrazier and Frazier (1987) to conclude that, although they may be able tosupport the current population of C. mydas , they would have beeninsufficient for the large population which is postulated to have existedformerly.Migration There is no evidence from the very scant tagging studies ofany migration of turtles in the Maldives. However, because of the lack ofpasture Frazier and Frazier (1987) discussed the possibility that turtlesnesting in the Maldives may feed elsewhere, such as the Gulf of Mannar.POPULATION : Eretmochelys imbrlcataNesting sites E. imbricata nests were found on Kunfunadhoo (Baa Atoll)and Baros (North Male), with specimens seen in Baa, North Male, South Male,Laam and Vavu. Questionnaire responses indicated that the local inhabitantswere familiar with this species throughout the archipelago, and Frazier andFrazier (1987) concluded that it probably nested on most uninhabited islandsin all of the atolls.Nesting numbers A questionnaire survey showed that the number ofE. imbricata nests per inhabited island varied from to 20 a year, with atotal of 313 nests reported. Assuming that more nested on the uninhabitedIslands, and that each turtle nested three times a season, Frazier andFrazier (1987) considered it unlikely that there were more than 500 femalesnesting annually in the whole archipelago.Trends In nesting numbers The results of a questionnaire survey showedthat the respondents considered that E. imbricata had declined on 83% of theislands. Frazier and Frazier (1987) pointed out that the absence ofdetailed data made anything but the most rudimentary estimate of historictrends impossible. However they inferred from the scale of exploitationthat a dramatic population reduction from former levels was likely.Nesting season Nesting occurs throughout the year on Baa Atoll, but themain nesting season is said to be December. A nest was made in North Maleon 17 November, and hatchllngs emerged in South Male in February (Frazierand Frazier, 1987)Foraging sites The rich coral reefs in the Maldives "must provide a vastand well stocked feeding area for Eretmochelys " (Frazier and Frazier, 1987).Migration No information available. It seems possible, accepting thatturtles are still widely encountered in the Maldives although nestingpopulations are said to be severely depleted, that a significant proportion329