World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

PANAMAPANAMA:CARIBBEANPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites Green Turtle nesting sites are apparently scattered alongthe coast. Carr et al (1982) note that the species occasionally nests atChanguinola, Isla Bastimentos and Chiriqui Beach in Bocas del Toro Province,with the best of these being Changuinola, and also on the mainland oppositethe San Bias Islands in eastern Panama. Ruiz de Guevara (1986) reportedthat young C. mydas appeared off San Bias at approximately the same time asyoung E. imbricata , indicating that some nesting may occur.Nesting numbers No figures are available, though the species isevidently not an abundant nester (Carr et al , 1982). No Chelonia mydasnests are recorded in the 1983 WATS country report (Diaz, 1984).Nesting season Quoted by Carr et al (1982) as "during the summermonths"Foraging areas Carr et al. (1981) note that there appear to be extensiveforaging grounds around Bocas del Toro, although they remained largelyunsurveyed. Reefs and seagrass beds were known to exist around IslaBastimentos, Isla de Col6n, and the Zapatilla Cays as well as on banksfurther off shore. The area was considered to be an important temporaryfeeding station for migrating Green Turtles (from the Tortuguero breedinggrounds - see COSTA RICA account), most of which were caught as they came into feed on seagrass on the leeward side of the outer cays of the lagoon abBocas; a small number of adult Green Turtles were resident, and werebelieved to feed on mangroves in the lagoons. Immature Green Turtles alsooccurred, but in smaller numbers. Green Turtles also occurred in somenumbers in feeding grounds around the San Bias Islands; most of these werejuveniles. Hatchling Green Turtles, presumed to come from Tortuguero, hadalso been found off the coast of Panama in offshore sargassum drift-lines(Carr et al. . 1982).Migration As noted above, the Bocas del Toro area is believed to serveas an important foraging area for migrating Green Turtles. Up to 1982,32 turtles tagged at Tortuguero in Costa Rica had been recovered there (seeCOSTA RICA account).POPULATION: Eretmochelys imbricataNesting sites In Bocas del Toro Province, the Hawksbill is known to neston Chiriqui Beach (which extends for ca 29 km between Rio Canaveral and RioChiriqui), on the three beaches on Isla Bastimentos, on several smallbeaches on Isla de Col6n, on both of the Zapatilla Cays and at Changuinola(Carr et al . 1982). Further east, Hawksbills are believed to nest on manyisolated nesting beaches on the San Bias Islands (Carr et al , 1982).Nesting numbers Chiriqui is believed to be the most important nestingbeach. A ground survey in 1980 (21-23 May) counted 17 Hawksbill nestingtracks and a second in 1981 (13-14 June) counted 13 (Carr et al , 1982).Because of the protracted nesting season and the short life-time of trackson the beach it is not possible to derive population estimates from thesebrief surveys. Nesting activity is characterised as "low" by Bullis (1984),summarising unquantif iable information presented at WATS in 1983.407