PROTECTEDAREASMANAGEMENTSTRATEGYFOR BAHAMIAN TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES: IGUANAS AND SEABIRDS Bahamian Field Station San Salvador, The Bahamas 11-12 November, 2000 Organized by Conservation Unit, Bahamas Department of Agriculture and IUCN/SSC Iguana Specialist Group In collaboration with IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Supported by Fort Worth Zoo Zoological Society of San Diego A contribution of the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. Organized by Conservation Unit, Bahamas Department of Agriculture and the IUCN/SSC Iguana Specialist Group, in collaboration with the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. Supported by the Fort Worth Zoo and the Zoological Society of San Diego. © Copyright 2001 by CBSG. Citation: E. Carey, S.D. Buckner, A. C. Alberts, R.D. Hudson, and D. Lee, editors. 2001. Protected Areas Management Strategy for Bahamian Terrestrial Vertebrates: Iguanas and Seabirds. IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Apple Valley, Minnesota. Additional copies of Protected Areas Management Strategy for Bahamian Terrestrial Vertebrates: Iguanas and Seabirds Report can be ordered through the the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, 12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124. Bartschi s iguana, Cyclura carinata bartschi Andros island iguana, Cyclura cychlura cychlura Exuma island iguana, Cyclura cychlura figginsi Allen s Cay iguana, Cyclura cychlura inornata Allen s Cay iguana, Cyclura cychlura inornata Acklins iguana, Cyclura rileyi nucha/is San Salvador iguana, Cyclura rileyi rileyi San Salvador iguana, Cyclura rileyi rileyi Audubon s Shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri Least Tern, Sterna antillarum White-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus Brown Booby, Sula leucogaster Bridled Tern, Sterna anaethetus Magnificent Frigatebird, Fregata magnificens - Juveniles CONTENTS Opening Remarks by The Bahamas Minister of Commerce, Agriculture, and Industry .......................... 7 Executive Summary oooooooooooaooooo••••ooeoo•olilooooo••o•o•••••••••••e••oo•••e•••••••••o••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 9 Map of The Bahamas ooooooooo•••••ootoOOIIOOOOOOOOOIIIOOOIICIIOOOOOOOOOOIIO<iJOIIIOOOOOIIOOI!IIIOOOOIIOOOOOOOOOOOIIOOOI&OOIIOOOiii&OO··•o<llseooooooooooGOO&OOOIDOOOOCIOOOOOOtJ<tOOOa 11 Generai Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 13 Andros Sector .................................................................................................................................................. 17 Central Andros and the Bight Area ..................................................................................................... 17 South Andros . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. 18 Cay Sal Bank .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 North Andros ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Abacos Sector .................................................................................................................................................. 21 Great i\baco ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Grand Bahama ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Tilloo and Pelican Cays ....................................................................................................................... 23 Northern Cays ...................................................................................................................................... 24 Gorda Cay ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Southern Bahamas Sector .............................................................................................................................. 25 Booby Cay ........................................................................................................................................... 25 Fish and North Cays, Acklins .............................................................................................................. 26 Great Inagua ........................................................................................................................................ 27 Mira Por Vos ........................................................................................................................................ 28 Plana Cays ........................................................................................................................................... 29 Little Inagua ......................................................................................................................................... 29 San Salvador Sector·······································································································································~~ 30 Graham's Harbour ............................................................................................................................... 30 Inland Lakes ........................................................................................................................................ 32 East and South San Salvador Shore and Cays ..................................................................................... 33 Conception Island ................................................................................................................................ 33 Little San Salvador .............................................................................................................................. 34 Exuma Sector ·~~·························································································································~~······~~···········~~··· 35 Great Exuma Cays ............................................................................................................................... 36 Allen's Cay Group ............................................................................................................................... 38 Central Exuma Cays Group ................................................................................................................. 40 Ragged Islands ..................................................................................................................................... 42 Southwestern Cays Group ................................................................................................................... 42 Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park .......................................................................................................... 43 Bahamian Iguana Taxon Accounts ............................................................................................................... 45 Bahamian Seabirds: An International Resource ........................................................................................ 59 Seabird Distribution in The Bahamas .......................................................................................................... 66 Participants List .............................................................................................................................................. 67 Appendix: CBSG Workshop and Training Processes ................................................................................. 71 3 4 PROTECTED AREAS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR BAHAMIAN TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES: IGUANAS AND SEABIRDS Bahamian Field Station San Salvador, Bahamas 11-12 November, 2000 5 6 opening Remarks by the Bahamas Minister of Commerce, Agriculture, and Industry Hon. Theresa Moxey-lngraham As l'v'(:i:nister with responsibility for wildlife, I am delighted to see more Bahamians students involved in your research that the West Indian Iguana Specialist Group has chosen with opportunities for them to be trained. The ]3ahamas as the venue for its annual meeting this At this juncture I wish to publicly express thanks year_ I am particularly pleased that you have chosen San on behalf of the Government and the peoples of The Salvador, a gem in our Family ofislands and a landmark Bahamas to all those scientists who have and are in Christopher Columbus' expedition to the New World. conducting research in The Bahamas in an effort to learn San Salvador and its associated cays are perhaps more about and protect our iguanas. The work of our the most studied islands for natural resources in The own Sandra Buckner is acknowledged and appreciated. Bahamas. They are rich with wildlife and the home of If only an ounce of the passion which she exudes has for one of the seven subspecies which make up the three iguanas were to infect each Bahamian we would be species ofWest Indian rock iguanas (genus Cyclura) that assured of the future for the iguanas in The Bahamas. are endemic to The Bahamas archipelago. Iguanas are protected in The Bahamas under the You are aware that the West Indian iguanas are Wild Animals (Protection) Act. Under that Act "no person among the