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Marine Turtle Newsletter 56:9-10, © 2001

News from the Madras Crocodile Bank, India

Harry Andrews
Deputy Director, Madras Crocodile Bank, Post Bag 4, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu 603 104 India

The Madras Crocodile Bank, pioneer of sea turtle conservation work in India, has recently started a sea turtle programme in the Southern Nicobar Islands, southeast of India. The 22 islands, many of them unexplored, that form the Nicobar archipelago (6°-10° N, 92°-94° E) are a unique group of islands that not only support the Nicobarese and Shompen tribal populations, but consist of three valuable ecosystems; namely, rain forests, mangroves and coral reefs. In addition, four species of sea turtle use these island beaches as nesting grounds; namely, the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). The last two surveys conducted by Satish Bhaskar in 1979 and 1981 showed leatherbacks and ridleys to be most common, while green turtles and hawksbills nested in smaller numbers. Last year, after a lapse of 10 years, Crocodile Bank researcher Ms. Manjula Tiwari conducted a three-month survey covering six of these islands, including the two islands surveyed by Bhaskar. The remaining islands could not be covered due to a delay in funding, the remote location of the islands, our lack of a good boat to withstand the monsoonal rough seas, and the logistics involved in inter-island travel.

Tiwari's findings indicate that these islands are still very important leatherback rookeries (leatherbacks nest in larger numbers compared to the other three species) and that the ridleys and hawksbills are under pressure, as they form an important source of protein for tribal peoples and local migrants who spear them offshore. The nests of all species are plundered by tribal people, as well as by their dogs and pigs. Almost 300 leatherback nests were counted on Great Nicobar Island and about 50 on Little Nicobar. Leatherbacks peak in their nesting activity during November-March, although sporadic nesting continues through July. Similarly, peak olive ridley season extends December-March. Green turtle nesting peaks May-September, but nests have been reported almost year around. Hawksbills nest all through the year. All four species can be found to use the same nesting beach in any given year. A detailed report of Tiwari's findings will be published in the next issue of Hamadryad, biannual journal of the Crocodile Bank.

Meanwhile, Bhaskar and Tiwari have embarked on a six-month survey of the Andaman and Nicobar islands which began in November 1991. Their protocol of work includes covering the unsurveyed areas, recording rates of nest depredation, determining the numbers of females nesting (all four species), locating feeding grounds, and marking and collecting morphological data on some of the nesting turtles. They will also monitor the nesting closely and collect information on egg and clutch sizes, incubation (nest) temperatures, and hatch rates. This study and survey is a pilot project to accumulate baseline data for initiating a longer term (five year) study programme for the conservation and management of sea turtles that use these islands for nesting. The project will include three additional researchers, and possibly form the basis for a doctorate study.

The survey work is funded by the Madras Crocodile Bank. However, due to financial constraints in maintaining more than 9000 crocodiles and supporting the other developmental activities underway at the Bank, it is becoming more and more difficult for the Crocodile Bank to extend its support beyond seed money grants for survey work. The Crocodile Bank once again appeals for tags (or the funds to purchase same) urgently required for tagging nesting turtles [see also MTN 53:27]. At present we have 200 tags available to us, which Bhaskar and Tiwari will use to tag green turtles and hawksbills. They are simple Dalton Henley plastic tags (England Pattern No. 894143) marked "AN", numbering 1-200. Should any turtles be sighted bearing the above numbered tags, we would appreciate information regarding its specific location, tag number, date of sighting, and measurements if possible.

Finally, the work of the Crocodile Bank during the last three years has also included provided logistic support to the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), Madras, who are actively involved in sea turtle conservation activities here on the Madras coast.