deborah4
Well-known member
Good move - hunting of turtles banned :t:
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46567/story.htm
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/46567/story.htm
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Well done Cuba! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter deborah4
- Start date
Vectis Birder
Itchy feet
Good news indeed!
Robert / Seattle
Well-known member
This is all well and good. And I would not want to diminish the significance of their action. But aren't they just doing what others have had the foresight to do years ago?
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Johnny1
Well-known member
When I was in Cuba a couple of years ago I planned on visiting a lagoon to the East of Varaderos untill I was told the Cubans were filling part of the lagoon in to build more Hotels on! Every day there was an endless stream of trucks full of huge boulders heading in that direction. Apart from that Cuba is one of my favourite destinations.
Isurus
Well-known member
No. Turtles have been a traditional food source in the caribbean for generations and although they aren't eaten that often banning hunting them is probably a pretty big deal. Here for example Leatherbacks are protected but I understand most other species are takeable in season. I know St. Vincent has a turtle season too for example.
Robert / Seattle
Well-known member
Isurus,
Unfortunate to say the least. Do you happen to know if there is any "sanctioned" harvest by a Caribbean nation of any turtle species officially designated threatened or endangered by the IUCN or the CITES treaty?
Robert
Isurus
Well-known member
I don't I'm afraid - Green and Hawksbill would be the target species these days I think. Leatherback was historically an industrial target I believe but obviously the numbers are so low these days they are left alone. I don't want to overstate the issue as turtle numbers are good in the caribbean generally and the locals don't seem that keen on harvesting them but I just thought I'd throw it out that cuba certainly isn't behind the times on turtle conservation from a regional perspective and that many islands still have a limited legal "harvest".
On a happier note we see loads of little turtles around this size
(this was taken here last year) and there are a few absolute dinosaurs we see fairly regularly.
