World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

MONTSERRATPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites Jeffers and Meylan (1984) reported possible nesting atYellow Hole, Bunkum Bay and Limekiln Bay. Meylan (1983) noted the belief ofsome local residents that Green Turtles nested on the island but could findno evidence of recent nesting. Bacon (1971, cited in Meylan, 1983) reportednesting by Green Turtles at Little Bay and Isles Bay.Nesting numbers According to Meylan (1983) there was little nesting bysea turtles on Montserrat.Foraging sites Jeffers and Meylan (1984) noted foraging at G'Garro's,Bransby Point, Bunkum Bay and Trant's Bay. Green Turtles were relativelycommon year round residents, particularly off the lower south-western coast(Meylan, 1983).POPULATION : Eratemochelys imbricataNesting sites Jeffers and Meylan (1984) reported nesting at Farm Bay,Yellow Hole, Rendezvous Bay, Little Bay, Carr's Bay, Bunkum Bay, WoodlandsBay, Limekiln Bay, Old Road Bay and Fox's Bay. Bacon (1971, cited inMeylan, 1983) noted nesting at Isles Bay.Nesting numbers Meylan (1983) considered that the incidental nestingwhich occurred on Montserrat could mostly be attributed to Hawksbills.Foraging sites Jeffers and Meylan (1984) reported foraging at O'Garra's,Bransby Point, Rendezvous Bluff, Yellow Hole, and Trant's Bay. Meylan(1983) noted the relatively common year round presence of Hawksbills aroundMontserrat, particularly off the lower south-western coast.EXPLOITATIONCommodity The main commodities were meat, that of the Green Turtle beingpreferred (Meylan, 1983), and shell products, including polished carapacesof Green Turtles and Hawksbills and tortoiseshell jewellery (Jeffers andMeylan, 1984). Meylan (1983) also noted the production of turtle oil.Hunting intensity Information is limited. Rebel (1974, cited in Meylan,1983) reported 16 nets to be in use in 1948 and that, during that year, 70turtles were landed at Plymouth. Jeffers and Meylan (1984) noted landingsites, for Green Turtles and Hawksbills, at Plymouth, Carr's Bay, BunkumBay, Sugar Bay, and Farm Bay; and also stated that four or five turtle netswere still in use.Hunting methods Jeffers and Meylan (1984) reported the use of speargunsand nets. Meylan (1983) noted that netting was used, to a limited extent,in the northern part of the island.Historical trends According to Rebel (1974, cited In Meylan, 1983), thegovernment had apparently discouraged hunting by buying nets fromfishermen. Only a few fishermen still knew how to make nets and theshortage had become a limiting factor. Meylan (1983) noted that turtleswere being caught to an Increasing extent by young divers using spearguns.368