Sea Turtle Conservation and Education in Karachi, Pakistan

Fehmida Firdous

Abstract

The present paper provides information about sea turtle conservation and education activities carried out at Sandspit and Hawkes bay, Karachi, Pakistan. A review of published and unpublished data regarding green and Olive ridley turtle conservation and protection of their eggs and hatchlings is given. Particular conservation emphasis is given to the protection of nesting beaches, elimination of predators, transplantation of nests from open beach to protected enclosures, release of hatchlings, tagging of turtles and tag recoveries. From October 1979 to December 1997 over 1,500,000 eggs were transplanted to enclosures to protect them from predators, from which over 450,000 hatchlings have been released to the sea. Education and public awareness is a necessity in the conservation of endangered species such as marine turtles, and attempts have been made to spread the message through all sorts of means and media of communication. It is believed that successful conservation can best be achieved through effective implementation of national and international legislation.

Introduction

The most important nesting beaches for marine turtles are located in tropical and subtropical waters, from the Caribbean and the Atlantic, across the Indian Ocean, and the great Barrier Reef across to Hawaii and the western coasts of the Americas, and include Pakistani beaches, particularly Sandspit and Hawkes Bay near Karachi. The presence of turtles in Pakistani waters was first reported by Minton (1966). Of seven species of marine turtles in the world, two nest at Sandspit and Hawkes Bay (Kabraji & Firdous 1984, Firdous 1985, 1988), the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), and the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea).

Both species, like other marine turtles in the world, are threatened by a number of factors, largely man-made. In Pakistan, sea turtles are not part of the local diet due to religious customs and as a result, except for occasional poachers and curious tourists, the main cause of destruction is feral dogs that dig up the nests for food. Other factors that threaten sea turtles are the destruction of nesting habitat due to construction of houses/beach huts all along the beaches, pollution, and disturbance on the beach by tourists, all of which interfere with the nesting cycle of the turtles. The beaches provide one of the few recreational spots for Karachi residents, and conservation measures are necessary if turtles are to continue to breed there.

In 1972, due to growing environmental concern, the Sindh Wildlife Management Board took a pioneering step and drafted the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance of 1972, amended in 1993 as the Sindh Wildlife Protection Act, which makes it an offence punishable by law to harass or hurt any adult or hatchling turtle or to steal eggs or disturb nests. Commercial export of turtle meat and eggs to foreign countries ceased in 1976 when Pakistan became a signatory to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), which lists all sea turtles on its Appendix 1, which includes species prohibited from international trade from or to signatory countries.

In 1979, the Sindh Wildlife Department in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan started a small program for the protection of marine turtles, and in 1980, a three year pilot project was approved by WWF/IUCN for conservation and protection of endangered turtles at Sandspit and Hawkes Bay, which was included in the global protection program 'The Seas Must Live'. In 1983, the project was taken over by the provincial government as a five-year development program, and since 1988 the project has been included in regular on-going schemes funded through the provincial budget.

Materials and Methods

The Sandspit and Hawkes beaches are located on the southern limits of Karachi at 24º48'N; 66º58'E (Fig. 1). Turtles nest on sandy coves and open stretches from Manora, at the beginning of Sandspit, to the Sindh / Baluchistan border. Brief surveys reported that the coastline of Baluchistan is also important for turtle nesting (Groombridge 1988). The highest nesting density was observed at Sandspit and Hawkes Bay, through counts of nests and turtle tracks, and are the areas where protective enclosures have been constructed. Beyond Hawkes Bay there are rocky inlets and small sandy areas where occasional nesting is observed. At Cape Monz the coast contains sandy bays where turtle tracks are sometimes observed, except during the monsoon when it is entirely submerged. After Cape Monz the rocky coastline continues to the provincial border of Baluchistan (Kabraji & Firdous 1984). Sandspit and Hawkes Bay beaches have open sandy shores, which are high enough to protect nest at all tide heights except during the May to August monsoon, when the beaches are inundated at high tide.

Fig. 1: Distribution of nesting beaches in Pakistan

Three enclosures of 24 x 24 m² were constructed at Sandspit and Hawkes Bay to protect eggs and hatchlings. Each enclosure has a capacity of 300 nests (45cm high, 90 cm circumference and 2.5 cm mesh covered with wire material on the top to protect hatchlings from birds). The hatcheries were similar to those used in other areas such as Heron Island, Australia (Bustard 1972). Surveys are conducted each night to locate nesting and non-nesting turtles, collect eggs and stray hatchlings, rescue stranded turtles, count dead turtles and check for poachers and predators. Adults were tagged with Monel tags (Size 19, Style 49) on the trailing edge of both front flippers, as these areas are less frequently damaged (Harrisson 1962, Carr 1967) Tags were applied after egg laying following methods by Balasingam (1966) and Bustard (1972). Tag returns were received from local areas and a few records of long distance migrations were also reported. Dead specimens were dissected to examine the gut content and check for parasites.

Eggs were collected and transported to the hatchery. Incubation period and hatching success were monitored in each nest. Unhatched eggs were removed from the nest and examined after excavation. Hatchlings were collected, identified, counted, measured, and weighed before being released to the sea.

Results and Discussion

Nesting season - Green turtles nest in Bioko, West Africa between November and March (Castroviejo et al. 1994, 1999). In Surinam they nest from February to July with peak in April and May (Schulz 1975). But in Karachi, green turtles nested throughout the year with a peak during September (Table 1). During April, May and June the nesting frequency was the lowest, possibly as a result of monsoon period (Fig. 2).

In Surinam Olive ridleys nest from mid May to the end of July with a peak in July (Schulz 1975). In Karachi, they nested later, from July to September with a peak during August (Table 1, Fig. 2), and mass nesting, or arribadas, were not observed. The number of Olive ridleys nesting at Sandspit and Hawkes Bay was the lowest during 1996-1997 (Firdous 1999).

From October 1979 to December 1997, a total of 1,531,980 eggs from 17,702 nests were protected. Of these, 1,453,966 were green turtle eggs from 17,048 and 78,014 were Olive ridley eggs from 654 nests (Table II).

Hatching: After a 40-60 day incubation period, hatchlings emerged usually at night, and were taken to the beach and released. From October 1979 to December 1997 a total of 391,556 hatchlings were released to the sea. Out of these 370,414 were green hatchlings and 21,142 were Olive ridley hatchlings (Table II). In addition, 88,108 hatchlings that were collected from outside the enclosures were released to the sea. In total, 479,664 hatchlings were safely released to the sea. Green turtle hatchling emergence occurred throughout the year with a peak during October, and a low from January to August. Olive ridleys hatched from August to December with peak during September, and no hatching from January to July (Table I).

Table I: Monthly number of Chelonia mydas (G. T) and Lepidochelys olivacea (O.R) nests, eggs and hatchlings from Karachi during October 1979 to December 1997

Fig 2. Seasonal variation in turtle nesting between 1979 and 1997.

Tagging and Tag recoveries - A total of 3,136 turtles (3,093 green and 43 Olive ridley) were tagged from August 1982 to December 1997 (Table III). Out of these 576 (564 green and 12 Olive ridleys) were recaptured locally. Three long distance tag recoveries of green turtles have been reported, one each from India, Africa and Iran (Table IV).

Rescue of stranded turtles and hatchlings - Stranded adult turtles and hatchlings were rescued and returned to the sea. Adult turtles were transported in nylon nets specially made for the purpose, which was not found to hurt the turtle but required four people to lift. On one occasion, a camel was used to pull the turtle back to the sea.

Education / Public awareness - This project is the first of its kind in the Sindh province on the basis of its education and public awareness programs. Marine turtle protection and conservation messages are broadcast through print and electronic media. Various publicity materials have been prepared for this purpose, including:

Booklets - A booklet entitled 'The Little VIP' focuses on the green turtle and was published by the Book Group of Karachi in collaboration with Sindh Wildlife Department in 1994, and it was included in many school's Integrated Curriculum (Class I).

Brochures - 'Marine Turtles of Karachi Beaches' was published by the Sindh Wildlife Department in 1989, and 'Marine Turtles of Pakistan' was printed in collaboration with WWF Pakistan in 1993.

Greeting cards - Greeting cards depicting green and Olive ridley turtles have been issued by the Sindh Wildlife Department with the help of IUCN Pakistan.

Table II: Annual number of nests, transplanted eggs and hatchlings from protected enclosures of Chelonia mydas (G.T) and Lepidochelys olivacea (OR) at Karachi during 1979 to 1997.

Table III: Number of Chelonia mydas (G. T) and Lepidochelys olivacea (O.R) turtles tagged and recovered at Karachi from 1982 to 1997

Table IV: Long range recoveries of green turtles tagged at Hawkes Bay, Karachi

Stickers - Green and Olive ridley turtle stickers were sponsored by MNJ, the Rotary Club, WWF Pakistan and the Sindh Wildlife Department.

Posters - 'Save Wildlife' and 'Important Reptiles of Sindh' were prepared by the Sindh Wildlife Department. 'Marine Turtles of Pakistan (Life cycle)' was prepared by the Sindh Wildlife Department with financial assistance from WWF Pakistan.

Stamps - 'Green Turtle' was issued by the Pakistan Postal Service in 1981, and 'Olive Ridley' is in the printing process.

T-Shirts - 'Save the Sea Turtles' was prepared by Sindh Wildlife Department and 'Sabz and Zaitooni' Forever Friends was sponsored by Shell Pakistan Ltd.

Tea Mugs - 'Sabz and Zaitooni' Forever Friends was sponsored by Shell Pakistan Ltd.

Calenders - 'Marine Turtles of Pakistan' was issued by Pakistan Cables Ltd. 'Wildlife of Sindh', with marine turtles as an important endangered species, is issued by the Sindh Wildlife Department from time to time.

Documentary films - 'Green Turtle' was prepared by the Sindh Wildlife Department with the help of Sindh Information Department. 'Marine Turtle' was prepared by the Sindh Wildlife Department and Sindh Information Department in Urdu, Sindhi and English versions. 'Wildlife of Pakistan' was prepared by the Federal Information Department. 'Wildlife of Sindh' was prepared by PTV and the Sindh Wildlife Department

Transparencies and Photographs - The life cycle sequence of the green and Olive ridley turtles, hatchlings and eggs, nests and protected enclosures, have been preserved on transparencies and photographs for historical records and for lectures.

Signboards - Various signboards depicting different stages of the turtle life cycle and tagging information have been installed in the project area for public awareness. In 1997, most of them were funded through donations collected from school students and a few multinational companies. The names of donors were acknowledged on the signs. These signs are particularly helpful at night in guiding tourists and visitors to find the turtle project and enclosures along the beach. They also provide information and introductions to the protection of marine turtles.

Guided Tours and Excursions - Every year guided tours are organised, with a peak during the best nesting and hatching season from September to November. Students and teachers of various local schools have been taken to the project area to watch turtles and egg laying in the natural environment and are fascinated by the sequence of events.

Seminars, Lectures and Workshops - Seminars organised by various NGO's and Government departments were also attended. Lectures on turtle conservation have been delivered to educational and cultural organisations to promote conservation in public, supported slides and films.

Newspapers and Magazines - Articles, essays, news-items, reports, research papers and reviews have been published in different newspapers, magazines and journals of national and international standard. National and local languages (Urdu and Sindhi) are used along with English as an international language, to reach the broadest audience.

Radio and TV - Public awareness to promote education for conservation of endangered species particularly marine turtles can be carried out by Radio Pakistan through special transmission and PTV, NTM & STN through documentary films in their morning and evening programs.

Exhibition/Competition - Photographs, posters, models and museum specimens have been used for display during exhibitions to create awareness among the public. Photographic competitions are also being organised for students and naturalists

Reward for Tag Returns - Rewards in the form of turtle brochures, stickers, greeting cards and T-shirts have been offered to those who send any information about tagged turtles from areas within and outside of Pakistan.

Conclusion

Green and Olive ridley turtles are legally protected in Pakistan, and because they are not consumed due to religious customs, conservation issues are restricted to habitat degradation, predation and pollution. There are some major gaps in the understanding of life history stages and habitat requirements for the Olive ridley. Surveys to study nesting and hatching frequency along the entire coastline is urgently required, and long-term research is needed to understand the effect of pollution on nesting and feeding grounds, for example oil spills and industrial sewerage containing heavy metals and lethal organic and inorganic substances. It is necessary to determine the migratory routes of turtles by tagging or satellite tracking, and implement TED use by shrimp trawlers and study their effect on turtle populations. It is also crucial to standardise data collection regarding turtle nests, nesting seasons, clutch sizes, hatching seasons, tagging and tag recoveries, etc. Finally, mass education and extension programs regarding turtle conservation should strengthened and reserves for marine turtle need to be set up along the beaches of Karachi.

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