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Marine Turtle Newsletter 85:10, © 1999
From One Feeding Ground to Another: Green Turtle Migration Between Brazil and Nicaragua
Eduardo H.S.M. Lima1, Cynthia J. Lagueux2, Dennis Castro W.3, & Maria Â. Marcovaldi4
1Fundação Pró-TAMAR, Caixa Postal 191-Centro, Fortaleza, Ceará 60001-970 Brasil
(E-mail: aruana@truenet-ce.com.br)
2Wildlife Conservation Society, P.O. Box 488, Gainesville, Florida 32602-0488, USA
(E-mail: lagueux@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu)
3 Wildlife Conservation Society, Lista de Correo, Puerto Cabezas, RAAN, Nicaragua
4Fundação Pró-TAMAR, Caixa Postal 2219, Salvador, Bahia, 40210-970 Brasil
(E-mail: protamar@e-net.com.br)
A green turtle measuring 88cm in curved carapace length, and 80cm in curved carapace width was tagged in 1994 in the waters of Almofala, in the state of Ceará, off the northeast coast of Brazil. This animal was later captured in March 1998 at Merilin Bar, in the vicinity of Miskitu Cay, off the northeastern Caribbean coast of Nigaragua. Although the route taken by the turtle is not known, the straightline distance between the two sites is approximately 5300 km.
The turtle was captured in Nicaragua by Roberto Menna, a Miskitu Indian from the community of Pahra. Marine turtles are harvested by Miskitu Indians of Caribbean Nicaragua primarily as a source of protein and income (Lagueux 1998). A minimum of 11,000 green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 600 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), 100 hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), and a dozen leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are estimated to be captured and/or harvested in this region each year (Lagueux 1998).
The turtle was originally tagged in Almofala after it was found accidentally caught in one of the currais, a traditional wooden fishing weir used from January to July by the local Indians in Almofala. These traps are an important part of the indigenous culture in Almofala. The construction of the weirs includes an important ceremonial component, and building plans are passed down from generation to generation (Seraine 1958). As part of its ongoing work with indigenous fishermen (Marcovaldi 1991; Marcovaldi et al. 1998) Projeto TAMAR in Almofala is also planning to investigate the occurrence of turtles incidentally ensnared by nets set for lobster.
Acknowledgements: Charles Tambiah kindly assisted in the preparation of this note. We thank the Caribbean Conservation Corporation who compensate Nicaraguan turtlers for all tag recoveries received, including tags from non-CCC tagging projects. We appreciate the cooperation of the Nicaraguan turtlers in returning the tags and providing information about the turtles captured. The Projeto TAMAR station in Almofala is supported by the Frankfurt Zoological Society. Projeto TAMAR is officially sponsored by Petrobras, affiliated with IBAMA, and co-managed by Fundação Pró-TAMAR.
LAGUEUX, C.J. 1998. Marine turtle fishery of Caribbean Nicaragua: human use patterns and harvest trends. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Florida, Gainesville. 215 pp.
MARCOVALDI, M.Â. 1991. Sea turtle conservation program in Brazil expands activities. Marine Turtle Newsletter 52: 2-3.
MARCOVALDI, M. Â., C. BAPTISTOTTE, J. C. DE CASTILHOS, B. M. G. GALLO, E. H. S.M. LIMA, T. M. SANCHES & C. F. VIEITAS.1998. Activities by Project TAMAR in Brazilian Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds. Marine Turtle Newsletter 80:5-7.
SERAINE, F. 1958. Curral de pesca no litoral cearense. Boletim de Antropologia (Fortaleza, CE) 2: 21-44.