Kadonlay Kyun
Location:
15°35'N, 95°16'E; about 10 km off the coast of the Irrawaddy Delta, opposite the mouth of the Bogale River, Delta Forest Division.
Area:
260 ha.
Altitude:
Sea level.
Biogeographical Province:
4.4.1
Wetland type:
02, 03, 05, 06 & 07
Description of site:
A low, flat island in the Irrawaddy Delta, formed exclusively of silt deposits from the Bogale River. The island is ringed by broad sandy beaches and muflats with some mangrove forest, and there are grassy areas and sand dunes in the interior. The surrounding sea is very shallow, hampering access to the island.
Climatic conditions:
Monsoonal climate, with an average annual rainfall of 2,777 mm at Bogale, 70 km to the north. The monsoon season extends from May to October.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove forest and areas of open grassland.
Land tenure:
State owned.
Conservation measures taken:
The island constitutes a part of the Kadonkani Reserved Forest, which was probably established in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Wildlife and vegetation are protected, although the Forest Department allows licensed collection of sea turtle eggs by the People's Pearl and Fisheries Corporation. Approximately 5,000 eggs are left each year to hatch in natural nests. The hatchlings are protected under cover for 5-6 days then released into the sea. However, the mortality of hatchlings prior to release is high (45% over the four seasons 1978/79 to 1981/82), and the nests are left to hatch only at the end of the season, when the species composition of nests may not be representative of the season as a whole (Salter, 1982).
Conservation measures proposed:
A proposal has been made to designate the island as a Wildlife Sanctuary in order to gain fuller protection for the breeding sea turtles (Salter, 1982; FAO, 1983c).
Land use:
Sea turtle eggs are collected by the Kadonkani Cooperative, which stations keepers on the island during the main turtle nesting season from September to February. Otherwise the island is uninhabited and difficult to approach due to the extreme shallowness of the surrounding waters.
Disturbances and threats:
Salter (1983) reported that an average of 122,000 turtle eggs were collected each year during the period 1978-82. Sustained harvesting of turtle eggs at this level has almost certainly been the main cause for the decline in the number of eggs available for collection, probably mirroring a decline in the number of breeding adult turtles. Fishing nets and baited lines also contribute to turtle mortality. Excessive harvesting of the eggs of the River Terrapin Batagur baska has resulted in the near extermination of the species (Salter, 1983).
Economic and social values:
No information.
Fauna:
The island is an important nesting site for sea turtles, which lay in approximately 1,000 nests each year. According to local informants, the turtles are mostly Loggerheads Careta careta, but considerable confusion has arisen over identification, and it is now thought that the majority are Olive Ridleys Lepidochelys olivacea. A few Green Turtles Chelonia mydas appear each year, and a single Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea nests every two or three years (Salter, 1982). In addition, the island may still support a very small number of River Terrapins Batagur baska.
Salter (1982) observed some migratory shorebirds on the island in November/December 1982. No other information is available on the avifauna.
Special floral values:
None known.
Research and facilities:
The island was surveyed in late 1982 (Salter, 1982). There are no visitor facilities.
References:
Blower (1983); FAO (1983c & 1985a); IUCN (in prep); Salter (1982 & 1983).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b. 2a, 2c..
Source:
See references.