Ethological and phenetic characterization of sea turtle’s fishering stock in Jardines del Rey (Cuba)

Abstract

Monthly harvests of sea turtles fishing resource were characterized in the Cuban fishery zone D (Jardines del Rey), during fishing pe riods from 2004 to 2006. We recorded the variables: straight carapace length (SCL) divided into five classes, movement direction, tag presence, sex class, maturation status, and breeding condition in females. All of the meshed sea turtles moved in a northwest to southeast direction. Overall, few tagged individuals were captured. Of those tagged individuals captured, none had been tagged in Cuban waters. Captured Caretta caretta were frequent throughout all fishing periods with typical macrobenthos species in the stomach content , while Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata were concentrated during August-October which implies a seasonal capture for both species. Females and immature individuals prevailed in every month for all three species. However, breeding females were primiparous and most frequently in E. imbricata during August and September. Captures of E. imbricata breeding females were coincident with the nesting peaks of some Caribbean source pop ulations, but not with the main Cuban nesting population . Thus, Jardines del Rey is a migratory corridor for this species while for the other species it also constitutes a foraging ground. In E. imbricata the SCL class composition in the 2000s varied significantly in comparison with that of the 1990s, with a temporal decrease of the longest sizes. Consequently, it is probable that this species has been overfished. The use of the E. imbricata sexual maturity criteria assessed by the Cuban legal fishery to manage other sea turtle species was a mistake according to the literature data.