World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

PANAMAfamilies have a substantial economic dependence on this commodity (Ruiz deGuevara, 1986).International trade Panama has been a major supplier of tortoiseshell(beklco) to Japan - according to Japanese customs statistics Panama was thethird largest supplier of belcko (after Indonesia and Cuba) during the period1972-86 (see Table 155).Panama ratified CITES on 17 August 1978; none of the above trade is recordedin annual reports to CITES. All trade involving Panama recorded by CITEShas been to the USA in the years 1980-83 and consists of 26 scientificspecimens of Eretmochelys . one shell of Chelonia mydas and 26 skin/leatheritems and 10 lb (4.5 kg) of "cheloni idae" . Colombian boats are said tovisit the coastal villages of Kuna Yala and to trade in E. imbricata shell(Ruiz de Guevara, 1986).PANAMA:PACIFICPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites The species is reported to nest (Cornelius, 1981),although no details are available.Nesting numbers "Very little" nesting by C. mydas is known (Cornelius,1981).Trends in nesting numbers No specific information is available, althoughCornelius (1981) noted that turtle populations in general had decreaseddrastically in the previous ten years.Nesting season Sea turtles in general in Pacific Panama reportedly nestbetween May and December (source cited in Cornelius, 1981).Foraging areas No details available; Cornelius (1981) noted that GreenTurtles were frequently observed in coastal waters.Migration Four C. mydas tagged at the Gal4pagos nesting sites have beenrecovered in Panamanian waters (see GALAPAGOS account).POPULATION : Eretmochelys imbricataIt is not clear if the Hawksbill is known to nest; it is said by Cornelius(1981) to be the rarest of the five species which occur "in the coastalwaters and beaches of Pacific Panama". No further information is available.THREATSNo figures are available for the extent of incidental catch; Cornelius(1981) notes that the Pacific Panamanian shrimp fleet, the largest in MiddleAmerica, reportedly releases the majority of turtles taken as Incidentalcatch while trawling in the Gulfs of Chiriqui and Panama.410