World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

SOLOHON ISLANDSPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites Despite the species's abundance throughout the Solomons,nesting areas are relatively few and none supports dense nesting, suggestingthat the region is mainly a foraging zone for C. mydas which nest elsewhere(McKeown, 1977; Vaughan, 1981). Most nesting occurs on beaches used also byE. imbricata and Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea . Reported sites includeKerehikapa (in the Arnavon group), Hakelalce (Santa Ysabel), islands aroundWagina (Choiseul), Ausilala, Maifu and Balaka (Shortlands) (Vaughan, 1981);sparse nesting is likely to be quite widespread in the Solomons.Nesting numbers Perhaps in part due to the sparsity of C. mydas nesting,most nesting estimates were obtained from coastal villagers, and littlebeach survey information is available. There are an estimated 15-20 nests ayear on Hakelake, around 45 on Kerehikapa, and 10-15 in the Wagina area.The principal C . mydas nesting area appears to be the Shortlands group,where more than 100 nests a year are estimated on Ausilala, around 100 onMaifu, and more than 50 on Balaka (Vaughan, 1981). The Shortlands area isalso an important feeding area (Vaughan, 1981). On present information,which is incomplete, it seem likely that the total number nesting annuallyin the Solomons is in the low hundreds.Trends In nesting numbers Vaughan (1981) reports his belief that therehas been a slight general decline in C. mydas in the Solomons (this appliesto the total population, not just nesting numbers); his local informantsreported either no decline in numbers or a significant decline. Therelatively good condition of C. mydas populations in the Solomons isattributed by Vaughan (1981) to the lack of a commercial trade in C . mydas .to the often low human population, and to the fact that most mydas in thearea nest elsewhere, perhaps in Australia, where they enjoy effectiveprotection during nesting.Nesting season Local informants suggested that C. mydas nest "aroundChristmas", and 44 of the 56 that nested on Kerehikapa between May 1979 andJanuary 1981 nested between September and March (Vaughan, 1981).Foraging sites Suitable feeding areas appear to be very widespread inthe Solomons. McKeown (1977) notes three areas where large numbers ofC. mydas can be found; the Roviana Marovo lagoon system in west New Georgia,Ontong Java atoll, and the Reef Islands, notably Nupani Atoll. He alsoreports the species to be "fairly common" in lagoons around north Ysabel andsouth Choiseul. Vaughan (1981) similarly cites the west New Georgia lagoons(naming Roviana, Marovo, Ndovelle and Vori) as a prime foraging ground; healso highlights the Baolo-Dedou area and Ghoveo, Poro and Thousand Ships Bay(all in Santa Ysabel), and the north side of Wagina.Migration A female tagged in August 1973 in French Polynesia wasrecaptured in Malaita (Solomons) in August 1975 (McKeown, 1977); many otherturtles tagged while nesting in French Polynesia have been recovered in theMelanesian area (including New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji) (Calenon, 1979)and other such individuals seem likely to enter Solomons waters.POPULATION: Eretmochelys imbricataNesting sites The species is widespread in Solomons waters andsignificant nesting is known at several sites. Highest numbers appear touse Kerehikapa atoll in the Arnavon group (Santa Ysabel Province), in the474