MTN 60:23 Action Plan for Sea Turtles in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

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Action Plan for Sea Turtles in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Satish Bhaskar and Harry Andrews
Madras Crocodile Bank, Centre for Herpetology Post Bag 4, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu 603104 India

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands host the largest nesting populations of two of the four sea turtle species that nest in India -- the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea and the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata. Between 1978 and 1992, surveys and studies by the Madras Crocodile Bank, WWF-India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department have shown that both species nest here in numbers that contribute significantly to the world pool for each species, but that several populations have declined or are threatened by human activities. Nesting beaches used by multiple species (generally 2-4) are common in the islands and provide unique natural laboratories for study, conservation and management. Studies at the prime nesting sites of the olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea in the islands will also be invaluable in the conservation and management of the world's largest nesting population of sea turtles, that at Gahirmatha in Orissa.

Urgently needed are:

1.

Precise determination of nesting seasons for hawksbill and green turtles.

2.

Surveys of five islands off the northwest coast of North Andaman, islands that are potential nesting sites and feeding grounds for hawksbills, to be urgently gazetted as a hawksbill sanctuary.

3.

Recurrent yearly nest counts for each of the four species during their respective nesting seasons at their known nesting grounds, over 90% of which have been discovered. The prime objective is to monitor population fluctuations.

4.

Intensive studies and tagging at the main nesting beaches for each species, to reveal turtle migration routes and information vital to turtle management and conservation.

5.

Detection and evaluation of feeding grounds in the islands and tagging of turtles in these marine habitats, for similar ends.

6.

Formulation of a Management Plan.

The project duration is to cover five years initially and two years continued survey, monitoring and implementation. A minimum of four investigators will be required, each to be supported by at least one qualified assistant. Directly involved should be the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department (which may partially fund the project), which should be, as executor of all management plans for turtles, the recipient of detailed reports and recommendations arising from the project. The survey work taken up last year and ongoing is being carried out solely by one investigator due to lack of funds.

	Urgently needed are:
1.	Precise determination of nesting seasons for hawksbill and green turtles.
2.	Surveys of five islands off the northwest coast of North Andaman, islands that are potential nesting sites and feeding grounds for hawksbills, to be urgently gazetted as a hawksbill sanctuary.
3.	Recurrent yearly nest counts for each of the four species during their respective nesting seasons at their known nesting grounds, over 90% of which have been discovered. The prime objective is to monitor population fluctuations.
4.	Intensive studies and tagging at the main nesting beaches for each species, to reveal turtle migration routes and information vital to turtle management and conservation.
5.	Detection and evaluation of feeding grounds in the islands and tagging of turtles in these marine habitats, for similar ends.
6.	Formulation of a Management Plan.