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Two hundred years after a commercial marine turtle fishery: the current status of marine turtles nesting in the Cayman Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Jonathan J. Aiken ,
Brendan J. Godley ,
Annette C. Broderick ,
Timothy Austin ,
Gina Ebanks-Petrie  and
Graeme C. Hays
Jonathan J. Aiken
Affiliation:
Department of Environment, PO Box 486GT, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, BWI
Annette C. Broderick
Affiliation:
Marine Turtle Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK. E-mail: mtn@swan.ac.uk
Timothy Austin
Affiliation:
Department of Environment, PO Box 486GT, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, BWI
Gina Ebanks-Petrie
Affiliation:
Department of Environment, PO Box 486GT, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, BWI
Graeme C. Hays
Affiliation:
Marine Turtle Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK. E-mail: mtn@swan.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Large populations of marine turtles breeding in the Cayman Islands were drastically reduced in the early 1800s. However, marine turtle nesting still occurs in the islands. The present-day status of this nesting population provides insight into the conservation of marine turtles, a long-lived species. In 1998 and 1999, the first systematic survey of marine turtle nesting in the Cayman Islands found 38 nests on 22 beaches scattered through the three islands. Three species were found: the green Chelonia mydas, hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata and loggerhead Caretta caretta turtles. Comparison with other rookeries suggests that the small number of sexually mature adults surviving Cayman's huge perturbations may be impeding population recovery. This shows the need to implement conservation measures prior to massive reductions in population size.

Keywords

commercial fisheryconservationmarine turtlesmonitoringrecolonization
Type
Research Article
Information
Oryx , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , April 2001 , pp. 145 - 151
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 2001

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