The status of the adult female population as determined from 

 tagging studies conducted on nesting beaches implies nothing 

 about the status of males or immature turtles. Furthermore, the 

 nesting females may spend 95% (2.8 nests X 14 days - 2.5 yrs. X 

 365 days) of their adult life away from the protection afforded 

 them at the nesting beach. For the Tortuguero breeding colony, 

 that means many, many miles away on their foraging grounds 

 elsewhere in the Wider Caribbean area. In Colombia, an artisanal 

 level of exploitation continues to operate off the mainland coast 

 from Golfo Moroscillo to the Guajira. In a recent survey of this 

 turtle fishery an estimated 2,500 to 3,500 green turtles were 

 taken annually (Mast, WATS II Report/Data Set) . What indirect 

 impact the Nicaraguan revolution had on restricting the entire 

 fishing effort along the Mosquito Coast apparently has been 

 neutralized by economic crisis and expanded fishing in these 

 unprotected waters by Nicaraguans and neighboring countries (Cruz 

 and Espinal, WATS II National Report) . 



More research on the population characteristics, including 

 mortality rates for the various age groups is needed for both the 

 adults on the foraging grounds as well as the juveniles in their 

 developmental habitats. Directed take of subadults in these 

 habitats continues throughout the Wider Caribbean area from the 

 San Andres Archipelago (Colombia) to Puerto Rico (United States) . 

 Frazer's model (WATS II, this proceedings) identifies these age 

 classes as the most valuable in terms of recovery and 

 stabilization of sea turtle populations. They have survived the 

 vulnerable early years and will soon be recruited into the 

 breeding population. The investment in these cohorts is high, 

 and we need to focus our research efforts on the early life 

 history stages at sea for obvious reasons. If we do not obtain 

 this information, the implementation of management plans, either 

 protective or exploitive, could result in serious consequences 

 for the green turtle and a loss of a potentially valuable 

 renewable resource and marine reptile species. 



94 



