Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Barbados - WIDECAST

4.142 Bleaching reefs (by man)
Barbados Sea Turtles …
It is illegal to use bleach or other chemicals for the purpose of fishing in Barbados
(section 4.21) and this practice is not known to occur. However, many houses and hotels on the
west and south coasts have swimming pools with filter backwashes discharging into the coastal
zone. Chlorine is extremely toxic to corals, and local deleterious effects on coral reefs have been
documented. As part of the Coastal Conservation Project Phase II, the sources of near-shore
pollutants, including chlorine from swimming pools, industrial and agricultural pollutants and
sewage are being identified. Because healthy coral reef ecosystems are crucially important to
sustainable fisheries and tourism (both economically important industries in Barbados), as well
as to sea turtles (providing them with food and shelter), it is the recommendation of this
Recovery Action Plan that deleterious discharges of chlorine into the sea be illegal at all times
and under all circumstances. Penalties should be stiff enough to serve as a deterrent to the use or
discharge of chlorine and other toxic chemicals in the marine environment.
4.143 Industrial discharges
Toxic effluents from the rum refinery and heated effluents from the power station pose
serious pollution problems in the area where they are released (Brighton), with decreasing effect
on reef quality with distance from the source (Tomascik and Sander, 1985). The rum refinery
effluent contains yeast, methanol, higher alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and esters and has a high
BOD [biological oxygen demand] loading (Coastal Conservation Project, 1984). The Coastal
Conservation Project (1984) advised that a long term solution may be to link these sources of
nearshore pollution to planned sewage systems. However, sewage systems are not generally
designed to handle these chemicals and another method of disposal may be more effective.
Solutions are sorely needed in this regard, and field studies are necessary to ascertain the extent
to which effluents of other types are degrading the marine environment of Barbados.
4.144 At-sea dumping of garbage
The discharge of sewage, oil, garbage, plastic, toxic materials, discarded fishing gear,
styrofoam and a myriad of other materials into the ocean is a serious regional and global problem
(e.g., O'Hara et al., 1986; CEE, 1987; Laist, 1987). The beaches of the east and southeast coasts
of Barbados are most affected by garbage, sometimes dumped from boats at sea and sometimes
derived from land-based sources. Fishing boats, yachts, cruise-liners, and military vessels dump
their refuse at sea; sometimes the country of origin can be identified by examining the refuse.
The discharge of garbage into the sea is a particular problem for sea turtles; both ingestion of and
entanglement in persistent debris can be fatal to sea turtles.
The Barbados Environmental Association monitors the amount and types of garbage
found on beaches during sea turtle nesting beach surveys and clean-ups, and supplies this
information to the Center for Marine Conservation, an organization in Washington D. C. that is
analyzing the occurrence of marine debris on a regional and global scale. Bellairs Research
Institute has recently started monthly monitoring of garbage on two beaches as part of the marine
debris monitoring programme of IOCARIBE/CEPPOL. Legislation prohibiting pollution of
territorial waters already exists (section 4.21), but more effective enforcement is needed.
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