The Treasure Beach Turtle Group met a few days ago to discuss what we have learned over this past nesting season and where we should go from here.

First, here is some information gathered:

This summer starting in June, Carvel Ebanks and Bobby Clarke (from Billy's Bay) conducted a Hawksbill turtle nesting survey on three small beaches just west of Billy's Bay. Early every morning for the next 4 months, they walked the beaches keeping track of when each nest was laid, how wide the adult's tracks were and just where the nests were located. They also worked at keeping the mongoose from digging up and eating the eggs, a problem that has greatly reduced the egg survival rate on these three beaches.

During the official survey period, they found a combined total of 65 nests. Since then we have seen at least another 15 sets of tracks. This would bring the total to about 80. An adult female Hawksbill turtle will take 20-30 years to reach sexual maturity at which time she starts returning to the area where she hatched out to lay her eggs. She will return every 2-3 years and will lay approximately 4-5 nests at two week intervals during the summer, all in the same general location. This means that if we have 80 nests at 4.5 nests per female then there are about 17 females that nested in our survey area this summer. Two of these were butchered for meat and sold so that left us with about 15 of those left. If each nest has about 150 eggs then a female averages just under 700 eggs in a nesting season.

Bobby and Carvel followed some of the earlier nests right through to hatching and were able to get some idea about the survival rates for the eggs which is important since it takes about 1000 hatchlings produced to bring back an adult. Because we only had enough money for 4 months, the survey stopped at the end of September. At that time, since the eggs take about 2 months to hatch, only those nests that were laid in June and July had hatched out. The nests they surveyed at the end of September wouldn't hatch out until the end of November.



What we would like to do in the future:

* Extend the survey through November, we could double the hatchling information, get an accurate count of almost all the adults and protect a larger number of nests through until they hatch.

* Need preliminary surveys to get some idea if there are any other beaches like these elsewhere in Treasure Beach. We would be able to house a volunteer if anyone is interested in a summer project of conducting surveys on other locations, nestings, hatchings, etc.

* Broadening the area monitored and educating more persons on how to conduct the surveys and gather statistics.

* Start trapping mongoose pre-season giving the eggs more of a chance of survival. We currently have two mongoose traps and could use a few more. Carvel and Bobby have come up with something that they can lay over the nests which deters the mongoose from getting into it. We would like to build more of these.

* Working with NEPA and look forward to their assistance and guidance in the future.

* Looking grant money or any funding which would enable Carvel and Bobby to travel to another island like Trinidad where there are active turtle protection programs going on so they can bring back information and experience to this project.

* Bobby and Carvel conducting educational programs within Treasure Beach both at the schools and in the community to show folks what they are doing and the importance of it.

As you can see, our future plans are aggressive. So much progress has been made in the last year that it has encouraged us to move forward and think large! We, of course, will need funding for this. We are grateful for the few private donors who have recently joined in, but we will need many many more.

We currently have T-shirts on sale at the Treasure Beach Women's Group. Proceeds from the sale of these shirts will help to sponsor this program so please buy, buy, buy!

Once we get a bit more organized we will be able to call folks on a list who would like to witness a nesting or hatching. We will charge a small fee for this service which will also go directly to supporting the program.

Anyone with ideas of how to raise money, wants to join our group, wants to be a donor, or have questions regarding this program, please contact Sally at sktoregon@aol.com.

Thanks to all for your continued support! Your support has given us a great deal of encouragement.

The Treasure Beach Turtle Group

There are several "voluteer vacations" In Costa Rica where folks go on a one or two week vacation, and volunteer/help watch over, track, and protect turtle nestings during the main laying and nesting seasons. Perhaps some villa owners could come together and work with the Jamaica Tourist Board to offer discounts to volunteer vacationers who are interested in this project.

I am sure with a solid business plan, and the data collected so far regarding this project, the Jamaica Tourist Board might find interest and a way to help brand and promote this important ecological endeavour. And, this is/could be a sustainable type of tourism that would be a great fit for Treasure Beach for years to come since there are several laying and nesting periods - it could bring in a consistent amount of repeat tourism, and those involved in the project would have "volunteer help", and save some money that way, while at the same time, continue to protect those hatchlings.

Here are some links to volunteer vacations I have looked into with my daughter in Costa Rica for you to view the model I am referencing:

http://www.uvolunteer.org/costa-rica/turtle-conservation-costa-rica.php

http://www.earthwatch.org/images/Pdfs/NewsEvents/InTheNews/CookingLight_April08E nlightenedTraveler.pdf

I am pretty sure I have seen similar Turtle Conservation volunteer vacations in Mexico as well.

It might take a little legwork, but having lived in Treasure Beach for a long chunk of time in the past, I know the area is one that could find support for this type of volunteer project.

Great job guys!! And continued good luck protecting these awesome likkle creatures!!

Congratulations to Sally and Bobby and Carvel for this wonderful work.

Question: It was said two of the mother turtles were butchered and sold for meat. Isn't this illegal? If it is illegal, were the people who butchered the mother turtles and sold for meat reported? I seem to recall this is something that NEPA is supposed to enforce if they are told.

We have the TB Turtle Protection Group working with NEPA. According to the recently published report, NEPA is clearly not doing its job in Jamaica. Diana McCaulay, Chief Executive Officer of JET, says NEPA has failed the people of Jamaica.

My question to Miss McCaulay is what else do you think NEPA should be doing in TB?