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OUR MISSION |
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Today, sea turtles face many threats to their survival. Nesting beaches
around the world are being disturbed and destroyed by inappropriate
development. Shoreline ecosystems and species are disappearing at a
rapid rate. Garbage and contaminated water are making oceans and coastal waterways increasingly uninhabitable for wildlife. Many sea turtles die each year after ingesting plastic bags mistaken for jellyfish, and turtles and other wildlife become trapped in floating debris, which can maim, strangle or drown them. The islands of the Bahamas have many national parks that protect and preserve the natural environment and offer unsurpassed viewing of rare and indigenous wildlife such as sea turtles. There are seven species of sea turtles worldwide and five of those species are found in the Bahamas: the Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback and Kemp’s Ridley turtles. All of these turtles are internationally recognized as endangered and are included in the CITES (Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species) agreement which the Bahamian government signed. CITES protects these animals from international trade, yet turtle fishing for domestic consumption is still allowed in the Bahamas. Currently, the laws in the Bahamas only protect turtles on a seasonal basis, even though these animals are in danger of becoming extinct. The B.S.T.C.G. is asking the Bahamian government to join the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Australia and the United States in banning all commercial turtle fishing in our waters, thereby significantly reducing the number of turtles taken annually. The B.S.T.C.G. wants the Bahamas to become a leading nation in conservation in the Caribbean and to promote long-lasting protection of sea turtles.
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