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hawksbill turtleover seagrass, PeterRichardson/MCS Leatherback hatchling,DougPerrine/seapics.com •Green turtlesawaiting releaseonScrubIsland, leatherbackturtle nest,Cap Front cover images: B.W.ITel:(264) 4972871 Fax:(264)4978567 e-mail:fi [email protected] The Department ofFisheriesandMarineResources Tel: (264)4975297 Fax:(264)4975571 The AnguillaNational Trust Marine turtlemanagementandlegislation guide totheUKOverseasTerritoriesandMEAs Overseas Territoryparticipationintheseagreementsissummarisedhere.Youcandownloadacomplete Territories andworkswiththeirgovernmentstodecidewhichMEAstheywouldlikecommitto.TheUK depend. TheForeignandCommonwealthOffi ce isresponsiblefortheexternal affairsoftheUKOverseas to helpensurethesurvivalofendangeredspeciesliketurtlesandmarineenvironmentonwhichthey There arevariousMulti-lateralEnvironmentalAgreements(MEAs)whichprovideimportantframeworks of thefi shermen. needed inAnguillatofi nd outmoreaboutthestatusofturtlepopulationsand addresstheconcerns some localpeoplefeelitistheirrighttomakeuseofturtlesasanaturalresource.Researchurgently law andstoppedturtlefi shing. Thoughthereareconservationbenefi ts in notallowingturtlestobefi shed, turtles, theirmeatandeggs.Sincethemoratoriumhasbeeninplacemostfi shers haverespectedthe which wasextendedforafurther5yearsin2000.Themoratoriumprohibitsanyharvestanduseofmarine hawksbill turtleswerecaughteachyear.In1995afi ve-year moratoriumonturtlefi shing wasintroduced Before 1995therewasanactivelocalturtlefi shery inAnguillawhenthousandsofgreenandhundreds About marine turtlesandtheirconservation: About marine turtlesintheCaribbeanUK OverseasTerritories: About theTUKOT project: Other sourcesofinformation: www.unfccc.int (KYOTOPROTOCOL) THE UNFRAMEWORKCONVENTION ON www.seaturtle.org/iac TURTLES PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OFSEA THE INTERAMERICANCONVENTION www.ramsar.org ESPECIALLY AS WATERFOWL HABITAT OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE THE RAMSARCONVENTION http://www.cep.unep.org/law/cartnut.php REGION MARINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE WIDER THE OF DEVELOPMENT PROTECTION AND THE CARTAGENACONVENTION www.ukcites.gov.uk www.cites.org SPECIES CONVENTION ONTRADEINENDANGERED www.cms.int/ WILD ANIMALS CONVENTION ONMIGRATORYSPECIESOF whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm HERITAGE THE WORLDCULTURAL AND NATURAL CONCERNING THEPROTECTIONOF WORLD HERITAGECONVENTION www.biodiv.org CONVENTION ONBIODIVERSITY www.unece.org/env/pp JUSTICE INENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS IN DECISIONMAKING AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PUBLICPARTICIPATION AARHUS CONVENTION KEY N/A not applytothisOverseasTerritory) Not Applicable(Thisagreementdoes Signed up

(SPAWPROTOCOL) ON ACCESS TO ON ACCESS ON WETLANDS www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/projects/tukot P.O. Box1234 TheValley,Anguilla,B.W.I Signed up Not FOR THE FOR THE www.axanationaltrust.org

www.mcsuk.org ANGUILLA www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/projects/tukot/MEA_Guide.pdf N/A N/A

P.O. Box60,The Valley, ASCENSION N/A N/A N/A N/A and

www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/projects/tcot/ BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY www.seaturtle.org/MTN BRITISH

CAYMAN ISLANDS N/A N/A

tain’s Bay,

MONTSERRAT N/A N/A N/A N/A ST HELENA

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS Anguilla marine turtlesof TURTLES INTHE TUKOT UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES

NORTH ATLANTIC 0 5 10km OCEAN

0 5 10mi

SCRUB Threats to marine ISLAND PRICKLY PEAR CAYS turtles SEAL ISLAND DOG ISLAND Over-exploitation For centuries marine turtles, their eggs and meat were

CARIBBEAN SEA ANGUILLA an important source of protein for fi shing communities. In addition, the shell of marine turtles, in particular that of the hawksbill turtle (also known as tortoiseshell), Leatherback turtle nesting was made into jewellery and sold to tourists. Many KEY marine turtle populations around the world have been TURTLE NESTING decimated as a result of decades of over-harvest. TURTLE FORAGING ANGUILLITA AREAS ISLAND ST MAARTEN Incidental capture Marine turtles are often accidentally caught in fi sheries targeting other species. Trawl nets and gill nets entangle turtles and many drown before they can be Marine Turtles of released. Turtles are attracted to the baited long-line hooks set on the high seas for tuna and swordfi sh and Anguilla end up hooked or entangled in the lines themselves. It is estimated that more than 250,000 turtles are caught The people of Anguilla have had a long relationship in long-line fi sheries operating around the globe each with marine turtles. Since the time of the Taino Indians year. Though the turtle fi shery in Anguilla is banned, turtles have served as a food item, a cultural symbol Anguilla’s turtles are exposed to all the pressures of and a tourist attraction and have added to the large scale, industrialised fi sheries when they leave diversity of this unique island. Anguilla’s waters. Hawksbill turtle Marine turtles migrate vast distances between their Habitat loss breeding grounds and feeding areas and visit the Loss of habitat, often associated with tourist or industrial waters of many different countries on their travels. developments is a major problem for both nesting and Anguilla’s turtles are therefore a shared resource foraging turtles. Foraging grounds, especially and their conservation depends on international reefs and seagrass beds, are degraded by declining cooperation. water quality, boat anchorage, and destructive fi shing practices. In Anguilla, the industry has gone Marine turtle nesting in Anguilla through a boom since the 1980s and sand mining Though Anguilla’s sandy beaches are potentially for construction as well as lighting and noise have all good nesting sites for turtles, research has shown reduced the quality of the local nesting habitat. that few nests are laid on the main island with turtles preferring the quiet undisturbed beaches of the outlying cays and islands. Leatherback, green and Climate change Anguilla is no stranger to turbulent weather and hawksbill turtles are known to nest in Anguilla, but Anguillans have survived severe hurricanes, like Luis in in critically low numbers and urgent conservation Loggerhead turtle 1995, which devastated much of the island. Global action is needed to ensure the survival of the nesting climate change is set to create huge environmental populations. The Department of Fisheries and Marine challenges for people, but is also considered a massive Resources is monitoring turtle nesting in Anguilla, so potential threat to turtles. Sea level rise, increased please pass on any information about nests. Their temperatures and increased storminess seriously contact details are listed on the back of this leafl et. impact nesting and foraging sites in Anguilla. Some nesting beaches must be left undeveloped so that they Marine turtles in Anguillan waters can naturally migrate inland as the sea level rises. At some sites around Anguilla you are very likely to see young green and hawksbill turtles popping their heads above water to breathe. These juvenile turtles Predation At all stages of their life cycle marine turtles are are quite abundant around the island, but are mostly predated upon by other animals including crabs, unrelated to the nesting turtles. They come to Anguilla birds like night herons, feral animals, sharks and other to feed on the reefs and seagrass beds. Once they large fi sh. In some cases predator numbers can be reach a certain size they will leave Anguilla’s waters unnaturally high. If large numbers of nests are being and travel to distant foraging sites. As adults they will destroyed, there is no recruitment to the population return to the nesting beaches, where they themselves and this can have devastating effects on marine turtle were hatched, to breed. Loggerhead turtles are also numbers. occasionally spotted in Anguillan waters. JJuvenileuvenile ggreenreen tturtleurtle Images: Leatherback turtle and hawksbill turtle, Peter Richardson/MCS • Loggerhead turtle and Images: Turtle eggs, Department of Fisheries • Entangled green turtle, Doug Perrine/ juvenile green turtle and fi sh, Doug Perrine/seapics.com Seapics.com • Digger at Windward Point and sunloungers at Shoal Bay, Peter Richardson/MCS • Night heron, Crocus Bay, Juliet Savage The turtle’s tale A marine turtle’s life is an epic journey. Throughout their long lives they roam the world’s oceans, facing many threats at 6 every stage. This is the turtle’s tale.

1 Mike Daines • Leatherback turtle World travellers Upon reaching adulthood, males and females migrate thousands of

Green turtles • Doug Perrine/Seapics.com kilometres between their adult feeding The mating game and breeding grounds. Covering Until they become adults at about these vast distances takes a lot out of 25 years old, male and female turtles the turtles and so they don’t usually look very similar. When males reach undertake their migration every maturity they develop a long tail, season. Leatherback turtles however used to deposit sperm during mating. are the ultimate ocean wanderers Courtship and mating take place in the and continually roam the high seas. water near the nesting beach and can last for several hours. 4 5 2

3 Doug Perrine • Peter Richardson Peter Richardson/MCS • • Hawksbill turtle Juvenile hawksbill turtle

Nesting green turtle The lost years Back in the shallows The big night There are many predators in coastal In all species other than the Female turtles come ashore at night waters including sharks and other large leatherback, juveniles migrate back to lay their eggs on the same beach Green turtle hatchlings • Peter Richardson/MCS fi sh. Once in the water, hatchlings to coastal waters after several years on which they were born. They are Happy birthday hatchlings instinctively paddle against the waves, when they are about the size of a vulnerable on land and are scared by About 6-10 weeks later the eggs swimming non-stop, straight out to the dinner plate. They then adopt specifi c lights and movement on the beach. If begin to hatch. Digging out of safer open ocean for about 24 hours. feeding grounds such as coral reefs undisturbed, the female carefully digs the nest is a team effort and the This is known as the “juvenile frenzy”. and seagrass beds. In these nursery a nest up to 1 metre deep in the sand hatchlings emerge from the nest as a It’s unclear how hatchlings survive in areas, young turtles from distant at the back of the beach. She lays group in the cool of the night. They their fi rst “lost years”, but hatchlings nesting sites live together. They tend to about 100 soft, white eggs. Females make a dash for the sea, fi nding their of some species have been found in spend long periods at a single site, but nest several times in a season, laying way by heading for the lightest and mats of seaweed fl oating far out in will typically use several foraging sites hundreds of eggs. lowest natural horizon, the sea. open ocean currents. before they reach adulthood. Background image: Juvenile loggerhead turtle • Doug Perrine/ Seapics.com Marine turtles in the UK and the UK Overseas Territories Although small in land , the UK Overseas Territories host extremely The juvenile turtles foraging in the waters around the Overseas high levels of biodiversity, in total far more than Great Britain and Territories are usually unrelated to the nesting adults. The map below . Many islands are tropical or subtropical and host shows which species are found in each of the Territories where turtles important habitats for marine turtle nesting and foraging. occur and whether they are nesting adults or foraging juveniles.

1 2 3 BERMUDA 4 There are small There are small Bermuda’s green Adult foraging nesting populations nesting populations turtle nesting leatherback turtles of green, hawksbill of leatherback, population is now visit UK waters every and possibly hawksbill and green extinct and only very summer. Juvenile loggerhead turtles. turtles. The islands rare loggerhead loggerhead, Kemp’s The islands are a are a signifi cant nests are laid. ridley, green and signifi cant foraging foraging site for Bermuda remains a hawksbill turtles site for juvenile juvenile green and signifi cant foraging are occasionally green and hawksbill hawksbill turtles. site for green and recorded. turtles. hawksbill turtles.

12 5 GIBRALTAR There are small As a result of its green and location, the waters loggerhead nesting of Gibraltar are an populations. The important pathway islands are a for immature foraging site for loggerhead and juvenile green and adult leatherback hawksbill turtles. turtles into and out of the Mediterranean.

11 ANGUILLA 6 BIOT There are small Early indications are nesting populations that the British Indian of green, Ocean Territory hosts leatherback and signifi cant nesting hawksbill turtles. The and foraging green island is a signifi cant and hawksbill turtle foraging site for populations. juvenile green and hawksbill turtles.

10 MONTSERRAT 9 PITCAIRN ISLANDS 8 7 ST HELENA There are small There is a small Ascension island has St Helena now has green and hawksbill population of green the second largest very little sandy turtle nesting turtles nesting on nesting population coastline, and rare populations and the these remote and of green turtles in green turtle nests island is a foraging isolated islands. Most the Atlantic ocean are occasionally site for juvenile nesting occurs on (4,000 females/ recorded. Mating green and hawksbill Henderson Island, year), and a small green turtles and turtles. which is a World foraging population juvenile hawksbills Heritage Site. of juvenile hawksbills. are a regular sight in St Helena’s waters.

Images: 1. Measuring a green turtle (Peter Richardson/MCS), 2. Staff and leatherback turtle (CFD), 3. Child with hawksbill -Bermuda (Bermuda Aquarium), 7. Mating green turtles (Doug Perrine/Seapics.com) 8. Children observing research (Brendan Godley), 9. Nesting green turtle (Peter Richardson), 10. JJ with green 4. Leatherback turtle (Mike Daines), 5. Loggerhead turtle (Graeme Cresswell), 6. Juvenile hawksbill turtle - (Brendan Godley) turtle hatchling (Brendan Godley), 11. Green turtle (Sue Ranger), 12. Satellite tagged loggerhead turtle (Janice Blumenthal)