Turtles of Trinidad
PHASE 1 - FEBRUARY 2011
MISSION PARTNERS
Trini Eco Warriors (www.facebook.com/Trini-Eco-Warriors); Michael Carey (Journey of the Turtle Photographer)
Overview
Despite protective legislation for nesting females on Trinidad, it is currently one of several countries around the world where legal hunting of sea turtles still continues. Around 15,000 endangered sea turtles are killed there during the annual hunting season that runs from October to February. Left on their backs in the sun to die, they are sold for around $1.50 a lb.
Poaching also remains a concern, particularly in Tobago; and large numbers of adult leatherback sea turtles – up to 1,000 each year - are being incidentally killed in artisanal nets Given that the most recent estimates show that fewer than 7,000 leatherbacks visit the country, it is easy to recognise the urgency of this mission.
Solutions
Adoption of new laws and regulations for a complete moratorium on turtle hunting, to minimise the immediate impact on sea turtles, propose amendments to the turtle and turtle eggs regulations, propose time/area/gear prohibited area and assist in government adoption of increased fines, penalties for illegal turtle hunting and buying and releasing of caught sea turtles, propose enforcement of the closed hunting season and establish more fisheries offices and trained citizen patrols.
Action
In February 2011, working with a Trinidad-based environmental group, Trini Eco Warriors (TEW), Earthrace Conservation paid a visit to their country to meet with local people, as well as Government Ministers, all of whom we would like to thank for their hospitality and welcome to Pete.
Pete and the boys from TEW talked to Vasant Bharath, Minster for Agriculture and Fisheries, and Christine Chan-a-Shing, Director of Fisheries and four government advisors about the need for year round protection for all sea turtles including a ban on hunting, tougher enforcement of laws governing the requirement for mid and large sized trawlers to use Turtle Exclusion Devices (TEDs), and better education and support for modern fishing techniques for the artisan fishermen who, through by-catch, are responsible for drowning up to 1,000 endangered Leatherbacks each year.
When Pete and the Eco Warriors met with the Ministers, they took with them a 110lb green sea turtle rescued from a hunter, where it had been lying on its back in the sun waiting to be sold for meat.
Outcomes
Seeing the stricken sea turtle seemed to have a profound effect on the Ministers, and a promise was made immediately to introduce new legislation this year (2011), and to address the other issues presented by Pete and the Trini Eco Warriors. (http://new.earthrace.net/news/full-protection-all-sea-turtles-trinidad)
In addition, since the visit to Trinidad, we have learned that at the formal launch of 2011 Turtle Nesting Season, the Minister of the Environment, Dr Roodal Moonilal, announced that The Turtle Watch Groups of Trinidad would received $653,340 in funding from the Environment Ministry for its work during the 2011 turtle nesting season.
This is a significant increase from the $10,000 the organisation of ten groups received from the ministry to help with their voluntary work in past years. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,136527.html
Earthrace Conservation would like to congratulate the Government of Trinidad on a good start to full protection of all sea turtles visiting Trinidad, and on making this considerable additional financial contribution that will enable local groups to carry on their great work. This is fantastic news and we look forward to congratulating the Ministers in person when we return.
‘Bobbo’ the sea turtle was later released with a tracking device, and is currently swimming happily off the coast of Venezuela.
Watch video of Pete's interview on 'One to One' in Trinidad http://vimeo.com/21723108
