Bahamian treatment of marine turtles criticized

A story by N. Thomas-Brown from The Nassau Guardian:

The brutal treatment of a Loggerhead turtle in front of horrified Bahamians and tourists on Arawak Cay has placed renewed focus on a petition to the Bahamas government, that demands a ban on the catching, possession and slaughtering of the gentle sea creatures.

The petition is posted on the website thepetitionsite.com by animal rights activists who are hoping to get 3,000 signatures. Up to press time, 2,638 supporters from The Bahamas, Italy and other countries had signed.

"I was horrified to learn that The Bahamas' fisheries laws allow the catching and killing of of these turtles, despite The Bahamas being a party to CITES, which lists all marine turtles as endangered or threatened," reads the petition that is addressed to the prime minister, minister of fisheries and minister of tourism.

CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

The petition also expressed shock at the way the animals were treated by their captors. "I was further horrified to learn of the usual method employed by Bahamians of keeping these turtles captive while awaiting a buyer. They are flipped upside down, rendering them helpless and unable to move, and often left in the sun for days in this manner, which results in dehydration and tremendous suffering. They are then killed by either decapitation or slitting their throats."

Sign the petition.