![img: The carcass of the slaughtered turtle. [Photo: Saint Lucia National Trust]](https://www.thevoiceslu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/N-01-new-2.jpg)
The current regulation allows: Open fishery period from October 1 – December 31, Closed period from January 1 – September 30, weight limits, gear restrictions, protection of eggs and nesting turtles.
Despite these legislated conditions poachers and fishers continue to illegally harvest sea turtles. Some concerns include: capturing of nesting turtles, Use/sale of turtle eggs, slaughtering of turtles in open public areas and concerns regarding prohibited practices; whilst the demand for sea turtle meat encourages widespread consumption and sale at popular locations island-wide. Some species of turtles are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species.
At this juncture, the DOF kindly solicits your feedback, input and observations as we aim to strengthen and protect this valuable resource via a brief survey.
The survey can be accessed via: https://moaslu.govt.lc/sea-turtle-fishery-survey
Why should there be an open and/or a closed season on these helpless animals while on land? I think that the authorities are as much to be blamed for the slaughtering as the humanoids who do this. The Government should invest in helping poor fishermen find easier ways in catching fish, and ‘end once for all the piracy of Japanese traveling half way around the world, to rob us of our birthright in our waters’ not only to scrape anything and everything alive for their profit – how about us?
Knowing our politicians as I do, maybe some pittance was offered and would they say ‘no can do’? are you kidding? the more things change, the more it remains the same. St. Lucia the same yesterday, today and the same tomorrow.(The good lord will have to perform miracles for a change.)