World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

ANGUILLAPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting Sites Richardson and Gumbs (1984) reported nesting on Dog Islandand at Prickly Pear Cays. Other available information is limited to areport of one nest at Pigfish Bay, Dog Island, some ten years ago (Meylan,1983).Nesting numbers The species rarely nests on Anguilla; some solitarynesting occurs (Richardson, 1984; Meylan, 1983).Trends in nesting numbers No specific information. Meylan (1983)reported sea turtle populations to be depleted but it is uncertain if thisapplied to nesting populations.Foraging sites Together with Hawksbills, Green Turtles were the mostcommon species in Anguillan waters; juveniles, sub-adults and adults werepresent year round (Meylan, 1983). Richardson and Gumbs (1984) reportedforaging at Shoal Bay, North Hill Village, Lower South Hill, Long Bay,Mead's Bay, Scrub Island, Sandy Island, Sombrero Island, Dog Island, andbetween South Shoal Bay and Blowing Rock. Green Turtles were alsofrequently sighted at Prickly Pear Cays and off Isaac's Cliff; juvenilesreportedly foraged in groups around the bays on the main island (Meylan,1983).Migration A Green Turtle that had been tagged at Cape Canaveral, Floridawas caught at sea at Sandy Island five years later (R. Witham, in litt. toMeylan, 1983). Local opinion was that Anguillan Green Turtles migrated toAves Island to nest (Meylan, 1983).POPULAT ION : Eretmochelys imbricataNesting sites The Hawksbill was the principal species nesting onAnguilla, according to Meylan (1983), who reported frequently used nestingsites on Dog Island (Savannah Bay, Stoney Bay, Pigfish Bay and Great Bay)and also nesting on the main island and on Prickly Pear Cays. Richardsonand Gumbs (1984) also reported nesting on Dog island. Prickly Pear Cays, andon some beaches on the main island.Nesting numbers Meylan (1983) considered the number of Hawksbillsnesting annually on Anguilla and the associated cays to be relatively low.Trends in nesting numbers No specific information. Meylan (1983)considered sea turtle populations to be depleted.Foraging sites Hawksbills of all sizes were present year round and goodforaging habitat occurred in the extensive reef to the north of the islandand around the offshore cays (Meylan, 1983). Richardson and Gumbs (1984)reported foraging at Shoal Bay, North Hill Village, Lower South Hill, Mead'sBay, Scrub Island, Sandy Island, Dog Island, Sombrero Island and at thebarrier reef off the north coast of the main island. Hawksbills were alsofrequently sighted at Prickly Pear Cays and off Isaac's Cliff (Meylan, 1983).THREATSECNAMP (1980, cited in Meylan, 1983) reported that several nesting beacheson Anguilla (Shoal Bay, Mead's Bay and Barnes Bay) had been or were in the63