Posts

Leatherback Sea Turtle Captured in Canadian Waters Originally Tagged while Nesting in St. Kitts

A female leatherback sea turtle bearing tag WC 13427 on its left rear flipper was captured 24 July 2018 off Nova Scotia, Canada by a sea turtle research team led by Dr. Mike James of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/publications/article/2016/01-29-16-eng.html). Following capture, the turtle was examined, measured, and equipped with a satellite-linked transmitter, which will provide valuable data on her movements and habitat use for several months.

 

The St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) received the exciting news of the capture and satellite tagging of WC 13427 in Canada via Professor Julia Horrocks, Coordinator of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network’s (WIDECAST) Marine Turtle Tagging Centre at the University of West Indies in Barbados. Originally tagged by members of the SKSTMN and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center/Jekyll Island Authority on 16 April 2015 while nesting on Keys Beach, the turtle returned to nest there two more times in May 2015, but has not been observed nesting since. As leatherbacks generally nest every two to three years, we hope to see her back in St. Kitts in the future.

It is not unusual for female leatherback turtles in the Atlantic to migrate 2,000 miles or more between their nesting and foraging grounds. The species’ highly migratory nature makes it a shared resource both regionally and internationally and highlights the importance of sharing critical biological information gathered on both the nesting beaches and foraging grounds.

 

 

Canadian waters support one of the largest seasonal foraging populations of leatherbacks in the North Atlantic. Beginning in 1999, Dr. James initiated annual vessel-based leatherback monitoring and tagging activities off Nova Scotia. This research is conducted in collaboration with local fishermen and the Canadian Sea Turtle Network (www.seaturtle.ca).

 

Less than 1 in 1,000 leatherback sea turtle hatchlings will survive to adulthood, and the females that survive will not return to nest on our shores until they are around 25 years of age.  Disturbing one of these ancient creatures during nesting carries a fine of EC$5,000. Since the SKSTMN initiated their leatherback tagging efforts in 2005, 259 individual female leatherbacks have been tagged. Over the course of the monitoring program a significant decline in leatherback activity in St. Kitts has been observed. For example in 2003 over 350 nests were documented in St. Kitts but in 2018 that number was down to 11. We urge all citizens to assist in efforts to conserve and protect sea turtles and their habitat. It is critical that the animals we do have in our nesting population survive and continue to produce offspring for our future generations to be able observe.

 

 

Please report any sea turtle sightings, nesting events, etc. in St. Kitts to the Sea Turtle Hotline at  (869) 764-6664 and/or the St. Kitts Department of Marine Resources at (869) 465-8045 or dmrskn@gmail.com. If you are interested in following the movements of this leatherback female please email your request to skturtles@gmail.com.

 

St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network

The St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) is a registered Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) in St. Kitts and a qualifying Public Charity under the United States Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi).  The SKSTMN was founded in January 2003 with the mission to: implement a long standing sea turtle conservation management program under the direction of the St. Kitts Department of Marine Resources; promote community awareness of the plight of sea turtles; and provide non consumable sources of income to communities as an alternative to the sea turtle harvest in an effort to decrease pressure on St. Kitts turtle populations. For more information on the SKSTMN visit www.stkittsturtles.org. Media Contact: Dr. Kimberly M. Stewart,Cell (869) 669-4268

 

/by

Tasia Jones is a MPA Manager

The 13th Training of Trainers on Marine Protected Area Management was held at The University of West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados from the 16th – 26th April 2018 representing St. Kitts and Nevis was Ms. Tasia Jones, a Marine Conservation Officer at the Department of Marine Resources. This training was organized by the Caribbean MPA Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM) with the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) as the local organizing partner for this year’s course.

Sessions were held that explored the biophysical characteristics and interaction of the Caribbean coastal habitats evaluating their ecological services, and identifying local, regional and global threats to their resilience.  Failing to understand the value of marine ecosystems can result in poor planning decision making. Therefore ecological and socio-economic research and monitoring and its application were discussed to improve marine area management.

The need to integrate, analyze and spatially understand a variety of types of information relating to the environment and its uses has increased reliance of the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through marine spatial planning and participatory GIS. Ecosystem Based Management recognizes the full array of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystems services in isolation.

Stakeholder engagement in MPA governance at site and national system levels were considered.

Stakeholders are people and groups whose interests, resources, power or authority result in them being likely to help, hinder, or be impacted by, an intervention or the lack of it. Co-management is a combination of negotiation and action taken by stakeholders with responsibility and authority who agree to share power.

The typical best practice based Daily Operations of an MPA Manager was outlined in order to give the standard by which functionality can occur. A comparative analysis was used to Weakness of Current Management Arrangement. A field day was also included in this course work primarily to compare and assess the marine environment within Barbados and that of the respective country participating.

Tasia Jones -St. Kitts and Nevis is a certified MPA Manager.

Biophysical and socioeconomic monitoring presentation by Steve Nimrod (St. Georges’ University, Grenada)

/by