Study

Some of them came home: the Cayman Turtle Farm headstarting project for the green turtle Chelonia mydas

  • Published source details Bell C. D. L., Parsons J., Austin T. J., Broderick A. C., Ebanks-Petrie G. & Godley B. J. (2005) Some of them came home: the Cayman Turtle Farm headstarting project for the green turtle Chelonia mydas. Oryx, 39, 137-148.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Release captive-bred reptiles into the wild: Sea turtles

Action Link
Reptile Conservation
  1. Release captive-bred reptiles into the wild: Sea turtles

    A replicated study from 1980–2005 in the Cayman Islands and wider Caribbean (Bell et al. 2005) found that some released captive-bred and reared green turtles Chelonia mydas were recaptured as adults throughout the Caribbean, and some were observed successfully nesting. A total of 392 tagged animals were recaptured at intervals of six months to 19 years after release. Of these, 160 were recaptured in the Cayman Island and 232 from elsewhere (2 from Belize, 176 from Cuba, 8 from Honduras, 1 from Mexico, 38 from Nicaragua, 2 from Panama, 4 from USA and 1 from Venezuela). Eight turtles were observed nesting, and two individuals produced clutches of 112 and 110 eggs, with hatching success of 63% and 88%. Rearing occurred at the Cayman Turtle Farm: a commercial turtle meat operation that raised green turtles from captive adults and released excess turtles in to the wild. Eggs were laid on an artificial beach, incubated in a hatchery and then hatchlings reared in groups. Between 1980 and 2001, turtles were released (16,422 hatchlings, 14,347 yearlings and 65 turtles of 19–77 months old) during October–November. Approximately 80% of all turtles released were tagged using a variety of methods (notching, flipper tags and living tags). Recapture information came from intentional and accidental capture by fisheries throughout the Caribbean, stranding networks in the USA, an active recapture effort in 1994 (Cayman Islands) and observations of nesting females.

    (Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)

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