World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

ST KITTS-MBVISPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites Wilkins and Meylan (1984) reported nesting on St Kitts atSandy Point, Newton, Dieppe Bay, Sandy Bay, Conaree, Sand Bank Bay, MajorsBay, North Friar's Bay, Garvey's, Challenger's, Mosquito Bay and CockleshellBay. Nesting was also noted at Banana Bay and Belle Tete (Meylan, 1983).Nesting on Nevis was reported at Finney's Beach, Red Cliff and Indian Castle(Wilkins and Meylan, 1983).Nesting numbers Meylan (1983) considered Green Turtle nesting onSt Kitts to be sporadic.Trends in nesting numbers Towle (1986) considered that sea turtlepopulations had begun to decline several hundred years ago and, according toMeylan (1983), most residents on St Kitts believed sea turtle populations tobe declining. These reports do not necessarily include nesting turtlepopulationsNesting season Nesting observed by Wilkins and Meylan (1984) occurredmainly from March/May to September/October.Foraging sites Wilkins and Meylan (1984) reported foraging at SandyPoint, Willet's/St Paul's, Dieppe Bay, South Frigate Bay, and Majors Bay atSt Kitts; and at Pinney's Beach on Nevis. Meylan (1983) noted Green Turtleforaging, occasionally in groups, on the north coast and south-easternpeninsula on St Kitts, and widespread foraging around Nevis.Migration Meylan (1983) noted the capture, at Nevis, of several GreenTurtles that had been tagged at Aves Island, and suggested that Nevis may beone of the resident feeding grounds for that population.POPULATION : Eretmochelys imbricataNesting sites Wilkins and Meylan (1984) reported nesting on the samebeaches as those on which Green Turtles nested, with the addition of twosites on Nevis, at Hurricane Hill and New Castle. Meylan (1983) reportednesting at Banana Bay and Belle Tete on St Kitts.Nesting numbers Meylan (1983) considered Hawksbill nesting on St Kittsto be sporadic and noted very small numbers nesting at Indian Castle and RedCliff, probably the only localities on Nevis that were still regularly usedfor nesting.Trends in nesting numbers See above account of trends in Green Turtlenesting numbers. Meylan (1983) considered that there may have been adecline in the Hawksbill population of Nevis.Nesting season Nesting recorded by Wilkins and Meylan (1984) occurredduring the same months as that of the Green Turtle.Foraging sites Wilkins and Meylan (1984) reported foraging at SandyPoint, Willet's/St Paul's, Dieppe Bay, Key ' s/Conaree, South Frigate Bay,Major's Bay, and Pinney's Beach. Hawksbills also foraged at Belle Tete andCanada Estate on St Kitts, and in the Black Bay area on Nevis.490