World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

TONGAPOPULATION :Chelonia mydasNesting sites Nesting appears to be widespread in the Vava'u (northern)and Ha'apai (central) Island groups, although extremely sparse (Braley,1974). With the exception of Malinoa, (species uncertain), no nest sitesare known at present in the Tongatapu group (Willcinson, 1979).Although local fishermen stated that nesting (by sea turtles in general)occurred on at least 27 islands in Ha'apai, a survey In November1973-January 1974 (Braley, 1974) was able to confirm nesting only on arounda quarter of these, and in all cases only single or very few nests were seen(those nests and turtles that were identified were all C. mydas )Similarly, nesting was noted on three of four islands visited in the Vava'ugroup, but the highest numbers found on any one were one fresh nest and fourold nests. According to Willcinson (1979), C. mydas nesting occurs onNulcufaia, Feto and Mango in the Ha'apai group, and may occur on otherislands also used by E. imbricata .Nesting numbers See preceding paragraph. All signs of nesting recordedby Braley (1974) were of single fresh nests or one or a very few oldernests; the best nesting island (Fonuaika in the Ha'apai group) held onlynine nests between one and three weeks old and two nests one or two daysold. The species involved was not recorded, but all identified signs orturtles noted in the 1973-74 survey were C. mydas . The relative proportionof nesting by C. mydas and E. imbricata is not well-known, however.Trends In nesting numbers On the basis of local reports received, and acomparison of field survey results in 1972, and 1973-74, Braley (1974)stated that the numbers of nesting turtles had decreased rapidly (andbelieved that turtles were likely to be extirpated in a decade unlessprotective measures were implemented) . Nesting had ceased on a number ofislands previously regarded as good turtle Islands, and was critically lowin Vava'u and Ha'apai generally (Braley, 1974). Hlrth (1971a) citedinformation that foraging turtles In the Kauval lagoon had declined innumbers to the extent that turtllng was probably unprofitable.Nesting season According to Wilkinson (1979), sea turtle nesting in theVava'u group extends from October to January, with most nesting inDecember-January (species not stated).Foraging sites Hirth (1971a) reported that C. mydas forage offTongatapu, one of the best pastures being off Nuku'alofa (the capital) andeast of the islands of Paloa, Alakipeau, Tufata and Atata. Turtles occuryear round on these seagrass pastures, but particularly in November-Marchwhen the vegetation is most lush. No information Is available on feedingareas elsewhere in Tonga.POPULATION : Eretmochelys imbricataNesting sites Wilkinson (1979) reported, on the basis of a May 1973fisheries survey, that the Hawksbill nests on 28 islands in the Ha'apaigroup, with probable nesting on another (and nesting by unspecified turtleson three Inhabited islands). However, the November 1973-January 1974 surveyreported by Braley (1974), with additional information from December1971-January 1972, found almost no nesting in the Ha'apai group, and allidentified turtles were C. mydas . According to Braley (1974), the Hawksbill525