Sea Turtles in the Middle East and South Asia Region MTSG Annual Regional Report 2019 Editors: Andrea D. Phillott, FLAME University, Pune, Maharashtra, India ALan F. Rees, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK 1 Photo: Nesting hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Sheedvar Is., Iran Photo Credit: Asghar Mobaraki 2 Index REGIONAL OVERVIEW..................................................................................................... 20 1 RMU: Caretta caretta, North­East Indian Ocean (CC­NEIO) ..................................................... 20 1.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 20 1.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 20 1.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 20 1.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 20 1.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 21 1.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 21 1.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 21 1.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 21 1.5 Research ............................................................................................................................ 21 2 RMU: Caretta caretta, North­West Indian Ocean (CC­NWIO) .................................................. 21 2.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 21 2.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 21 2.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 21 2.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 22 2.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 22 2.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 22 2.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 22 2.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 22 2.5 Research ............................................................................................................................ 22 3 RMU: Chelonia mydas, North­East Indian Ocean (CM­NEIO) ................................................... 22 3.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 22 3.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 22 3.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 22 3.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 23 3.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 23 3.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 23 3.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 23 3.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 23 3.5 Research ............................................................................................................................ 23 4 RMU: Chelonia mydas, North­West Indian Ocean (CM­NWIO) ................................................ 23 3 4.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 23 4.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 23 4.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 24 4.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 24 4.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 24 4.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 24 4.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 24 4.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 24 4.5 Research ............................................................................................................................ 24 5 RMU: Dermochelys coriacea, North­East Indian Ocean (DC­NEIO) .......................................... 25 5.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 25 5.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 25 5.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 25 5.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 25 5.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 25 5.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 25 5.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 25 5.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 25 5.5 Research ............................................................................................................................ 25 6 RMU: Eretmochelys imbricata, North­East Indian Ocean (EI­NEIO) ......................................... 26 6.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 26 6.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 26 6.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 26 6.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 26 6.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 26 6.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 26 6.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 26 6.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 26 6.5 Research ............................................................................................................................ 27 7 RMU: Eretmochelys imbricata, North­West Indian Ocean (EI­NWIO) ...................................... 27 7.1 Distribution, abundance, trends ....................................................................................... 27 7.1.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 27 7.1.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 27 7.2 Other biological data ......................................................................................................... 27 4 7.3 Threats .............................................................................................................................. 27 7.3.1 Nesting sites .............................................................................................................. 27 7.3.2 Marine areas ............................................................................................................. 28 7.4 Conservation ..................................................................................................................... 28 7.5 Research