World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

SAUDI ARABIANesting numbers No details available. Although "fairly common" In theGulf it is "much less abundant" than the Green (Basson et al. . 1977). Rossand Barwanl (1982) estimate that around 100 nest annually.Trends in nesting numbers Trends In nesting numbers are not known.Several factors likely to have an adverse impact on nesting numbers areevident (Basson et al . 1977; Burchard, 1982 and undated 1982?) and thepopulation is likely to be under some pressure.Nesting season Most nesting occurs April-July.Foraging sites No direct information, but typically associated withcoral reef habitats and may forage around the coralline nesting islands.THREATSExploitation appears not to be a significant threat, although turtleconsumption by Asian contract labour may now be a cause for concern (Bassonet al. . 1977; Burchard, 1982).Industrial and other development has reduced turtle nesting on the Gulfcoast. Dredging and landfill operations have been very extensive: mostformerly important mangrove stands no longer exist, tidal flats and seagrassareas have also declined in extent (Burchard, 1982). Plans have beenproposed for a major oil storage and processing facility on Jana and,apparently, a Coast Guard base on Jurayd. The nearby island of Jubail isbecoming a major population centre (Burchard, undated, 1982?) and apreviously major nest beach now has no nesting (Ross in lltt , 29 December1986). Tar and oil appear to be ubiquitous but the impact on turtles is asyet unquantifled (Ross in lltt. , 29 December 1986).Shrimp trawlers sometimes catch turtles incidentally, in Tarut Bay forexample (Basson et al. , 1977) and often work over seagrass beds. Thispressure is likely to increase in parallel with Increased fishing effort asshrimp stocks decrease (Burchard, 1982; Ross and Barwanl, 1982). Thedemersal trawl fishery is also increasing. Including in the Immediatevicinity of the nesting islands (Burchard, 1982).EXPLOITATIONCommodity Most of the turtle exploitation appears to be for localconsumption. Eggs are collected from the nesting beaches, and a few femalesmay be killed for meat or to extract unlaid eggs (Basson et al. . 1977).Hunting intensity The level of exploitation appears to be relativelylight: "only small numbers of nesting female green turtles are caught on thebeaches by local fishermen" (Basson et al. . 1977). However, more recently,large numbers of Asian contract labourers (e.g. from Korea and thePhilippines), not subject to the religious constraints on turtle consumptionaffecting most of the Saudi population, are thought to pose an importantthreat. Of particular concern was the practice of transporting groups oflabourers to offshore islands for weekend recreation (J.E. Burchard,in lltt. to G.H. Balazs, 21 February 1982).Domestic trade Turtle products from local populations are not known tobe traded in Saudi Arabia. However, imported lacquered turtles (both449