CAYMAN ISLAND TURTLE FARM
UNDER FIRE BY CONSERVATIONISTS
Throughout its history, the Cayman Island Turtle Farm a government-owned facility has repeatedly tried to re-establish international markets for sea turtle products. The latest attempts by the Farm to become registered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as captive-breeding facility, which would authorize international trade of turtle products from the farm, have been unsuccessful due to failure to meet the required criteria.
Leading NGOs from the USA and Europe, through Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) and MEDASSET's instigation have circulated a joint press release criticizing the UK government for approving a controversial shipment of 20 endangered green sea turtles from the Cayman Island Turtle Farm to Sea Life Centres in England (3rd March 2006). Joining the Government of Costa Rica in its objections, the group labeled the shipment as a violation of CITES! A joint letter was sent to the Ministers of Environment of France, Belgium and the Netherlands and CITES authorities in each country, pressing them to censure the UK authorities and to prevent planned onward shipment of turtles to their countries.
The Cayman Farm's policy of head starting, or releasing a portion of its overflow of juvenile turtles into surrounding waters could pose serious threats to wild turtle populations. A scientific assessment completed by the Cayman Island Department of Environment admits that: "Two criticisms of head starting that cannot be addressed by our data are those of potential disease transfer and genetic pollution" (Bell et al, 2005: 44). The Farm has yet to produce sufficient scientific studies on the ramifications of crossbreeding various genetic stocks of Green turtles and then having these hybrids released to mate with wild populations. Sea turtle scientists and conservationists are apprehensive of the possibility of diseases occurring in Cayman Farm-raised turtles being spread to wild populations.
Releasing farm-raised turtles into the wild and re-establishing international demand
for either turtle meat or shell products has the potential to affect wild populations
in the broader Caribbean and undermine international conservation efforts. Although
the Farm may intend to feed shell and meat demand with only farm-raised animals, in
reality such demand will inevitably lead to clandestine harvesting and the re-opening
of black markets for wild turtles.
REPORT RELEASED
"Marine Turtle Conservation in the Mediterranean:
Population Status and Conservation Activities on Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches in South Lebanon,
2005"
By Cross, H., Rizk, C., Khalil, M. and Venizelos, L.
Protecting nests on El Aabbassiye
ABSTRACT: The importance of Lebanon's coasts for sea turtle nesting was discovered in 2001, when under the framework of MEDASSET's ongoing conservation programme in the Eastern Mediterranean (which began in 1990), a first survey to assess nesting potential took place. Sparse nesting is found along the northern coast, scattered on some already developed beaches, whereas nesting sites in the south have been found to be more important on both a national and regional level. Turtles in Lebanon are under threat from tourism development, pollution, predation, interaction with fisheries and lack of awareness and information. The 5 year monitoring project on El Mansouri beach and the 2 year monitoring at the Tyre Nature Reserve and Aabbassiye beach, in collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of the Environment's MedWetCoast Project, have provided useful data: nesting in South Lebanon ranges from 47-70 Caretta nests and from 0 -16 Chelonia nests per year. Since 2001, along the most important nesting beaches, progress has been made in setting up beach monitoring programmes and training/awareness-raising for the general public and fishermen. A National Action Plan has been compiled for the Ministry of Environment. This addresses the urgent need for protection of critical nesting areas; and also identifies the major threats imposed on turtles through unregulated beach development, fishery interactions, predation and pollution.