Poachers slaughter green turtle in West Bay, Cayman Islands

From an article by James Dimond in the Caymian Compass:

Poachers behind the slaughter of a female green turtle that was about to lay her eggs on a West Bay beach face possible prison sentences and hefty fines if caught.

DoE Marine Enforcement Supervisor Mark Orr shows that the back of the turtle and the calipee were all that remained at the site where poachers illegally slaughtered a female nesting turtle.

Department of Environment Marine Enforcement Supervisor Mark Orr found the bloodied shell of the turtle on a beach in the Sand Hole Road area of West Bay Thursday.

He said it appeared the turtle – estimated to weigh more than 350 pounds – was dragged from the beach into nearby trees, where she was butchered.

All useable parts of the turtle, including an estimated 100 eggs, were carried away from the site, leaving only the shell and calipee (bottom shell) behind.

With DoE surveys showing that only a handful of loggerhead and green turtles nest annually in the Cayman Islands, the slaughter represents a severe blow to local breeding stocks.