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Marine Turtle Newsletter 42:1-3, © 1988
Brian Groombridge1, Aban Marker Kabraji2, and Abdul Latif Rao3
1IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219(c) Huntington Road,
Cambridge CB3 ODL, England
2IUCN and WWF Regional Offices, 1 Bath Island Road, Karachi 0402, Pakistan
3Conservator (Wildlife), National Council for Conservation of Wildlife, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Cooperatives, 485 Street 84 G-6/4, Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan has long been known to support a large population of Green Turtles Chelona mydas (with a lesser number of Olive Ridleys Lepidochelys olivacea), nesting primarily at Hawkes Bay and Sandspit near Karachi, Sind Province (Ghalib and Zaidi, 1976; Kabraji and Firdous, 1984). There have been indications (Kabraji and Firdous, 1984) that the remaining coast of Pakistan, in Baluchistan Province (the Makran coast), may also hold significant numbers of sea turtles. At least 95% of the Baluchistan coast (>700 km long) consists of inaccessable and unfrequented sandy beaches-apparently suitable turtle habitat.
Three sources have provided data on turtles in Baluchistan. Butler (1877) reported nesting by large turtles, apparently C. mydas, on Astola (Haft Talar), a small island some 25 km from the mainland. Butler stated "there is no water on the island, which is barren, and only frequented by boats from Muscat, which catch fish and large numbers of turtle". Although few turtles were encountered on the nest beach on the evening of 28 May 1877, the shore was reportedly "strewn with the dry carcasses of turtles which had been killed by Arab fishermen for the sake of their oil...the stench along the beach in consequence was intolerable". Shockley (1949) recorded that C. mydas was seen frequently along the coast near Jiwani (Jiunri), adjacent to the border with Iran. As many as a dozen large turtles could often be seen close inshore at one particular "turtle cliff", and numerous turtle tracks could be seen on the beach (in September-November 1945). Later, in an unpublished letter (cited by Frazier, 1980), S. Telford reported information from reliable sources that "many thousands" of turtles were harvested from a beach at Ormara during 1975.
The following is a summary of a brief survey made between 19 and 22 January 1987, with the aim of gathering new data on Baluchistan turtles (reported fully by Groombridge, 1987). Beaches near the four main fishing towns on the Makran coast-Jiwani, Gwadar, Pasni and Ormara-were visited; local officials arranged contact with fishermen or others, who provided information or guidance to nest sites known to them. Our survey probably took place outside the main nesting season. At the two closest C. mydas sites, Ras al Had (Oman) and Karachi, most nesting occurs in August-December and September-November, respectively.
We found evidence that marine turtles nest in the vicinity of each of the four main coastal settlements. Nest pits, tracks, and skeletal material, were those of the Green turtle C. mydas. Some nest pits appeared to be many weeks old, many tracks appeared to be more recent, and a majority were fresh. Tracks of freshly emerged hatchlings at Jiwani indicated that some of the nesting had occurred in November, two months prior to our visit (confirming Shockley's 1949 report of nesting in September-November).
Our observations suggested that small numbers of turtles nest at Gwadar and Pasni, almost certainly fewer than 100 annually at the two sites combined. Numbers are higher on the "turtle cliff" beach (1.5-2 km) at Jiwani. Some 400 sets of tracks and abundant nest pits suggested that >150 females may have come ashore during the past season. Local residents say that nesting is more intense during summer, when turtles "come up like goats" (a simile alluding to the massed appearance of a flock of goats on a hillside). The annual nesting population at Jiwani may be at least in the low hundreds.
Numbers are far higher on the beach (ca. 4 km) at the foot of the Kamgar Hills on the western coast of the West Bay of Ormara. There were signs of dense nesting along most of the beach, except for about 100 m where the sand was thick with shells. Along much of the beach, nest pits were typically separated by a few meters or more, but over 1 km the beach was heavily cratered with nest pits, frequently running into each other. A sample transect of 50 m by 15 m in an area of high density included ca. 30-35 pits. Most pits and crawl tracks appeared to have been made at some time before the few days preceeding our visit, but several crawls were recent, around a dozen having been made the previous night (20 January 1987). If this density were maintained over 1 km, and about one-third of this level for the remaining 3 km, around 6,000 nest pits may have been present. This is likely to be a minimum estimate since nesting was said to be heavy in March, and most signs from this period would have been obscured by the time of our visit the following January. Similarly, signs of the heavy nesting reported to have occurred in September may have been partially obscured. Assuming that each female nests three times a season, a minimum of 2,000 females may have used the Kamgar beach at Ormara during the 1986/87 season. Nesting numbers have been seen comparable to those at Karachi, and may well be greater. Scattered nesting also occurs along the northern margin of the Ormara West Bay.
Turtle eggs are said to be taken at each site visited, and are fed to the ailing camels and goats, or eaten by man, for medicinal purposes. The egg harvest appears to be very small, and is unlikely seriously to affect turtle populations. Signs of nest predation, apparently mainly by dogs, were found on all beaches visited, and may be cause for concern.
Trade statistics indicate that significant turtle exploitation has persisted until at least 1985. Japanese import figures indicate export of shell from Pakistan in 1976, 1979, 1980 and 1983; this material was not classed as 'bekko' (Hawksbill shell) and was probably derived from C. mydas. The same source reported export of turtle skin in all years 1976-1985 inclusive, except for 1983 and 1984. Pakistan Customs figures indicate export of ca. 1800 kg of raw shell in each period July 1981-June1982 and July 1982-June 1983 (probably C. mydas). Because turtles in Pakistan's only other maritime province (Sind) are fully protected under the Sind Wildlife Protection Ordinance of 1972, which in general is effectively implemented, it may be inferred that all exploitation has been occuring in Baluchistan (in contravention of provincial legislation).
We can confirm the existance of commercial harvest of nesting females at Jiwani and Ormara. At Jiwani, this was reported for oil extraction, but not intense and not in every year. Exploitation appears to have been more intense and less irregular at Ormara-the beach was littered with turtle bones and shell-and also may have been primarily for oil extraction. Turtle carcasses were rendered by boiling on the beach, and the oil shipped in drums to Muscat, to be used in treating the planks of sailing dhows (Roberts, 1987). Given the long-standing trading links between Baluchistan and Oman, it seems possible that exploitation of turtles for oil is an exercise of some antiquity, much older than Butler's (1877) report, and that, while it appears to have been a frequent occurrence in Ormara, it may be less infrequent at Jiwani than we were lead to believe. Export of oil from the Baluchistan coast would be unlikely to appear in any trade statistics, and may well have been occurring concurrently with the export of other products noted above. Oil, skin and shell would presumably be obtained from the same turtle harvest.
In 1985 "every" turtle emerging on the Kamgar beach at Ormara was said to have been taken, for shell and for skin. Telford reported that "many thousands" were taken in 1975 also, and it is likely that this beach supplied the majority of turtle products recorded as being exported from Pakistan between 1976 and 1985. This level of harvest seems certain to have and adverse impact on the turtle population, and to be non-sustainable. The recently-posted head official (Tahsildar) of Ormara District reported that there had been no exploitation after 1985, and intended to insure that the Provincial wildlife legislation was effectively implemented in the future. The Government of Baluchistan and IUCN are at present developing a comprehensive project intended to clarify the extent of nesting along the Makran coast and to include a long term research and coastal zone management programme.
Acknowledgements
We thank Mr. Savak Poonegar (Chief Secretary, Baluchistan) for invaluable help. The Government of Baluchistan generously provided accomodations and transport, arranged through Mr. Muhammad Rafiq (Chief Conservator of Forests). Particular help was given by Mr. Ahmad Raza Baluch (Divisional Forest Officer), Mr. Kalim Ullah (Tahsildar, Ormara District) and Mr. Moula Dad (Chairman of the Union Council, Jiwani). Security was provided by Subadar Major Hayat Khan and a detachment of the Makran District Levies. Groombridge's visit was part of a project carried out by the IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre for the Secretariat of CITES.
References
Butler, E. A. 1877. Astola, a summer cruise in the Gulf of Oman. Stray Feathers (Calcutta) 5: 283-304.
Frazier, J. 1980. Exploitation of marine turtles in the Indian Ocean. Human Ecology 8(4): 329-370.
Ghalib, S. A., and Zaidi, S. S. H. 1976. Observations on the survey and breeding of marine turtles of Karachi coast. Agriculture Pakistan 27(1): 87-96.
Groombridge, B. 1987. A preliminary marine turtle survey on the Makran coast, Baluchistan, Pakistan (with notes on birds and mammals). Unpublished report, 25 pp.
Kabraji, A. M. and Firdous, F. 1984. onservation of turtles, Hawkesbay and Sandspit, Pakistan. Project Report. WWF and Sind Wildlife Management Board.
Roberts, T. 1987. In litt., 17 March
Shockley, C. H. 1949. Herpetological notes from Ras Jiunri, Baluchistan. Herpetologica 5: 121.
Telford, S. 1976. In litt., to H. W. Campbell. IUCN/CMC files.