Help Protect Sea Turtles In/From the Bahamas

Another Turtle Alert, from Oceana:

While you might think of the Bahamas as a place of great natural beauty, believe it or not, it is perfectly legal there to kill every species of sea turtle except the hawksbill. Since turtles are highly migratory, what happens in the Bahamas affects turtle populations in the U.S. We need your help today to get the Bahamian government to end the killing of sea turtles.

Tell the Bahamas to Stop the Killing »

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists all seven sea turtle species as ‘threatened’ or ‘endangered.’ Five of the seven species inhabit the Bahamas — green, loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill, and olive ridley sea turtles. Since sea turtles are known to migrate between waters of the U.S. and Bahamas, turtle conservation efforts in the US are hindered by the lack of adequate protections in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has proposed a rule that will enhance sea turtle conservation by prohibiting all harvest, purchase, and sale of sea turtles and turtle products.

We need your help to convince the Bahamas to move forward with this rule to protect sea turtles. Please take action today to help us get better international protection for these ancient mariners.

For the oceans,
Elizabeth Griffin
Marine Wildlife Scientist
Oceana

If you’re outside the US, please take a second to personalize the letter, as it specifically states “As a citizen of the US…” It’s a short letter to read through, feel free to personalize it as you see fit.

Once again, the turtles and I thank you.