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Tel: 284-494-3904 http://www.bvinationalparkstrust.org/parks.html BVI NationalParks Trust, , BritishVirgin IslandsTel:2844945681 BVI Conservation andFisheriesDepartment waters, Peter Richardson/MCS•School children,Brendan Godley/MTRG•Green turtleface,PeterRichardson/MCS Leatherback turtle,DougPerrine/Seapics.com •Measuring ajuvenilegreenturtle, BrendanGodley/MTRG •Juvenilehawksbill inB Front CoverImages: guide totheUKOverseasTerritoriesandMEAs Overseas Territoryparticipationintheseagreementsissummarisedhere.Youcandownloadacomplete Territories andworkswiththeirgovernmentstodecidewhichMEAstheywouldlikecommitto.TheUK depend. TheForeignandCommonwealthOffi ce isresponsiblefortheexternalaffairsofUKOverseas to helpensurethesurvivalofendangeredspeciesliketurtlesandmarineenvironmentonwhichthey There arevariousMulti-lateralEnvironmentalAgreements(MEAs)whichprovideimportantframeworks December toMarchinclusive. turtles ofmorethan15inches(38.1cm)carapaceorshelllength.Theopenseasonisforthemonths permissible totakegreenturtlesofmorethan24inches(61cm)carapaceorshelllengthandhawksbill loggerhead turtlesisprohibited.Nests,eggsandnestingofallspeciesareprotected.Itonly (1997) andtheFisheriesRegulations(2003)regulateBVIturtlefi shery. Captureofleatherbackand apparently atmuchreducedlevelscomparedtohistoricalharvests.TheVirginIslandsFisheriesAct The currentmarineturtlefi shery intheBritishVirginIslands(BVI)takesmainlygreenandhawksbillturtles, Marine turtlemanagementandlegislation About marine turtles andtheirconservation: About marineturtlesintheCaribbean UKOverseasTerritories: About theTUKOTproject: Other sourcesofinformation: www.unfccc.int CLIMATE CHANGE(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..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 P.O. Box860,,Tortola,BritishVirgin Islands ON WETLANDS www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/projects/tukot Signed up Not FOR THE FOR THE , P.O.Box3323, RoadTown,

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

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

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS of theBritishVirginIslands marine turtles TURTLES INTHE TUKOT UK OVERSEAS TERRITORIES NorthNorth AAtlantictlantic OceanOcean Threats to marine turtles Over-exploitation For centuries marine turtles, their eggs and meat were an important source of protein for fi shing communities. In addition, the shell of marine turtles, in particular that TORTOLA Leatherback turtle of the hawksbill turtle (also known as tortoiseshell), was made into jewellery and sold to tourists. Many marine turtle populations around the world have been decimated as a result of decades of over-harvesting. CaribbeanCaribbean SeaSea ST JOHN (US Incidental capture VIRGIN ISLANDS) Marine turtles are often accidentally caught in fi sheries KEY targeting other species. Trawl nets and gill nets TURTLE NESTING entangle turtles and many drown before they can be released. Turtles are attracted to the baited long-line hooks set on the high seas for tuna and swordfi sh and end up hooked or entangled in the lines themselves. It Leatherback turtle hatchling is estimated that more than 250,000 turtles are caught Marine Turtles of the in long-line fi sheries operating around the globe each year. Although the turtle fi shery in the BVI is now very British Virgin Islands much reduced, BVI’s turtles are exposed to all the pressures of large scale, industrialised fi sheries when The people of the BVI have had a long relationship they travel to distant seas. with marine turtles. Turtles have served as a food item, a cultural symbol and a tourist attraction and have Habitat loss added to the diversity of this unique island group. Loss of habitat due to coastal development associated Marine turtles migrate vast distances between their with tourism, industry and reclamation is a major breeding grounds and feeding areas and visit the problem for both nesting and foraging turtles. Foraging waters of many different on their travels. grounds, especially coral reefs and seagrass beds, are BVI’s turtles are therefore a shared resource and their degraded by declining water quality, boat anchorage, conservation depends on international cooperation. and destructive fi shing practices. In the BVI, the tourism industry has gone through a boom since the 1980’s Marine turtle nesting in BVI and sand mining for construction as well as lighting and Although BVI’s sandy beaches are potentially good noise have all reduced the quality of the local nesting nesting sites for turtles, research has shown that few habitat. nests are now laid in the islands in comparison with past numbers. Leatherback, green and hawksbill Climate change JJuvenileuvenile ggreenreen turtleturtle turtles are known to nest in the BVI, but all in critically BVI is no stranger to turbulent weather and BVI Islanders low numbers and urgent conservation action have survived hurricanes in the past. Global climate is needed to ensure the survival of the nesting change is set to create huge environmental challenges populations. The BVI Conservation and Fisheries for people, but is also considered a massive potential Department is monitoring turtle nesting in the BVI, so threat to turtles. Sea level rise, increased temperatures please pass on any information about nests. Their and increased storminess may seriously impact nesting contact details are listed on the back of this leafl et. and foraging sites. Some nesting beaches must be left undeveloped so that they can naturally migrate inland Marine turtles in BVI waters as the sea level rises. At some sites around the BVI you are very likely to see young green and hawksbill turtles popping their Predation heads above water to breathe. These juvenile turtles At all stages of their life cycle marine turtles are preyed Hawksbill turtle are quite abundant, but are mostly unrelated to the upon by other animals including crabs, birds like night nesting turtles. They come to the BVI to feed on the herons, feral animals, sharks and other large fi sh. In reefs and seagrass beds. Once they reach a certain some cases predator numbers can be unnaturally high. size they will leave and travel to distant foraging sites If large numbers of nests are being destroyed, there before returning to the beaches where they hatched is no recruitment to the population and this can have to breed. Loggerhead turtles are also occasionally devastating effects on marine turtle numbers. spotted in BVI waters.

Images: Images: Leatherback turtle and staff, BVI CFD • Leatherback hatchling and green turtle with fi sh, Doug Bucket of hawksbill scutes, Peter Richardson • Entangled green turtle, Doug Perrine/Seapics.com • Tagged hawksbill Perrine/Seapics.com • Hawksbill turtle, Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch • Researchers, Brendan terminal and run off on Tortola, Peter Richardson/MCS • Night heron, Juliet Savage turtles before release Godley/MTRG 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 of nesting sites live together. They tend to about 100 soft, white eggs. Females make a dash for the sea, fi nding their some species have been found in mats spend long periods at a single site, but nest several times in a season, laying way by heading for the lightest and of seaweed fl oating far out in open will typically use several foraging sites hundreds of eggs. lowest natural horizon, the sea. 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 BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 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 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 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)