seaturtle.org : MTN : ARCHIVES : Sign In
The Kuna Yala Archipelago, also know as San Blas, is located in the eastern part of Panamá's Caribbean coast (Fig. 1). The area is composed of more than 226 km of mangrove-lined coast and several hundred small sand cays from Colón Province (to the east) to Colombia (to the west) (Clifton et al. 1997). Large areas of coral reefs and seagrasses are found in the shallow waters around the cays (Cortés 1997). The indigenous group that controls the archipelago is known as the Kuna. The Kuna have an autonomous government within the Republic of Panamá. Their autonomy can be an important component of conservation within the area, since the Kuna manage and control both the terrestrial and marine resources in the region (Archibold pers. comm.; Clifton et al. 1997).
Although Kuna Yala remains relatively undeveloped, the activities of the Kuna do affect the ecology of reefs, particularly around the inhabited islands. The Kuna population on the archipelago totals 45,000, with an average 300-500 people living in each island-village (Archibold pers. comm.). The Kuna inhabit only 40 of the more than 300 cays; the rest are mostly used as coconut plantations. Virtually all waste is discarded directly into the water. Harvestable marine resources have suffered from over-exploitation, as large reef fish, lobster and sea turtles were exported to Panamá City (Archibold pers. com.; Clifton et al. 1997). Very few studies to evaluate the abundance and management of the marine resources have been conducted in the Archipelago. Our main objective for this study was to conduct a preliminary survey to assess the status of juvenile hawksbill turtles at potential feeding areas around the Kuna Yala archipelago.
Snorkeling censuses were conducted to observe and capture turtles in coral reefs habitats, which are typical hawksbill turtle feeding grounds (Van Dam 1997; Witzell 1983). Surveyed areas had water depth of between 3 and 18 m. Surveys consisted on swimming over the reefs to locate turtles and if a turtle was observed then capture was attempted. Turtles were captured by hand following the protocol developed by Diez and Van Dam (2001).
During the 7-day survey period, a total of 12 areas were surveyed, covering more than 20 different sites in the central part Kuna Yala Archipelago (see figure 1). Twenty-two hours were spent in the water conducting surveys. Only two turtles were captured. These hawksbills measured 22.6 and 30.1 cm straight carapace length (SCL), respectively. An adult male (over 70 cm SCL) was also observed feeding on a reef near Kuanidup Island (see figure 1). Three juvenile green turtles were also seen. One captive juvenile hawksbill was bought for US$1 from villagers at Rio Sidra, then tagged and released. The catch per unit effort (CPUE), which is defined as the number of turtles (sighted and captured) divided by the total time (in hours) spent in the in-water surveys was 0.14 hawksbills per hour. This CPUE is very low compared with other areas of the Caribbean, such as the southwest of the Dominican Republic and at Mona-Monito Islands, Puerto Rico, where the mean CPUE is 3.4 and 4.7 hawksbills per hour, respectively (Diez & Van Dam, 2001; León & Diez 1999).
The areas surveyed have the characteristics for foraging habitats of hawksbills. The diversity of sponges, invertebrates and corals make the area a potentially excellent hawksbill feeding ground (León & Mota 1997; Witzell 1983). The chicken liver sponge (Chondrilla nucula), corallimorphs and other known food items for hawksbill turtles were seen. In addition, we found gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) and rock beauties (Holacanthus tricolor), which are spongivorous fish often associated with the presence of hawksbill turtles (Diez & Ottenwalder, 1999). Crevices and other rock formations, which serve as hiding and resting-places for turtles, were abundant in many of the sites visited. The nearshore areas of the sandy cays provide potential mating areas for hawksbill turtles, which may still nest on the islands. Although the habitat is available, our preliminary surveys indicate that the hawksbill turtles in Kuna Yala Archipelago are not found in abundance or high densities.
Figure 1. Map of the Kuna Yala Archipelago on the Caribbean coast of Panama. Black dots indicate sites surveyed in 2001.
Since the Kuna Indians settled in the area during the 1800's, many marine resources have been overexploited. Hawksbill turtles in particular were harvested heavily during the 1960's, 70's, and 80's; and their scutes were exported to Panamá City (Archibold pers. comm.; Ruiz pers. comm.). Although there is no record of the harvested amounts, it can be inferred from interviews with local fishermen that large quantities were shipped out. The over-harvest of resources locally combined with the declines in nearby nesting colonies (i.e. Colombia, Venezuela, Bocas del Toro (Panamá)) are likely to have contributed to an apparent low level of juvenile hawksbill recruitment to the area. Small turtles found by fishermen today are often caught for personal consumption or use as pets, impeding recovery of the species in the area.
Our main recommendation is to implement a ban on the capture of sea turtles in Kuna Yala. An environmental educational campaign is also urgently needed to discourage the capture of hawksbill turtles of all sizes. The success of a recent seasonal ban on lobster fishing, instituted and enforced by the Kuna themselves, serves a model of what can be achieved. Most importantly, this ban has provided fishermen with an incentive to diversify their sources of income, for example through working their plantations on the Kuna Yala mainland. A ban on turtle capture would have negligible negative economic impact for the Kuna, yet offer good potential for recovery of turtle stocks, considering the apparent quality of the available habitats. Further surveys to evaluate the status and recovery of hawksbill turtles would then become worthwhile.
Acknowledgments We thank the staff of the Osiskun Foundation and Cabañas Kuanidup for all the logistical support provided, and Pasquel Archibold, in particular. Our field assistants, Alberto Alvarez, Rubertico Diaz, and Eligio from Cohibita Island, provided expert help. Argelis Ruiz from Smithsonian Institution and Annamaria de Paulis assisted us during our stay in Panama City. Project support came from the Japan Bekko Association.
Cortés, J. 1997. Status of the Caribbean Coral Reefs of Central America. 1997. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reefs Symposium. 1:335-340.
Clifton, K.E., K.Kim & J. L. Wulf. 1997. A field guide to the reefs of the Caribbean Panamá with an emphasis on western San Blas. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium. 1:167-184.
Diez, C.E. & J.A. Ottenwalder. 1999. Habitat Surveys. Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles. In: K.L. Eckert, K.A. Bjorndal, F.A. Abreu-Grobois, M. Donnelly (Editors). IUCN/SSC Marine Specialist Group Publication No. 4. 41-44
Diez, C.E. & R.P. van Dam. 2001. Mona and Monito Island Hawksbill Research Project: Report for 2000. Technical Report U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. 17 pp.
Lasker, HR, E.C. Peters, M.A. Coffroth. 1984. Bleaching of reef coelenterates in the San Blas islands, Panama. Coral Reefs 3:183-190.
León, Y.M. & C.E. Diez. 1999. Population Structure of Hawksbill Turtles on a Foraging Ground in the Dominican Republic. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 3(2):230-236.
León, Y.M. & M.J. Mota. 1997. Aspectos de la ecología y estructura poblacional de la tortuga marina carey (Eretmochelys imbricata) en el área del Parque Nacional de Jaragua. Tesis de Licenciatura. Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. 98 pp.
Meylan, A. B. & M. Donnelly. 1999. Status Justification for Listing the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) as Critically Endangered on the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 3(2):200-224.
Mrosovsky, N. 2000. Sustainable use of hawksbill turtles: Contemporary issues in conservation. Wildlife Management No. 1. Ed Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Darwin, Australia. 107 pp.
Witzell, W. N. 1983. Synopsis of biological data on the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766). FAO Fisheries synopsis 137. 78 pp.
Van Dam, R.P. 1997. Ecology of Hawksbill Turtles on Feeding Grounds at Mona and Monito Islands, Puerto Rico. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Amsterdam. 118 pp.