Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Barbados - WIDECAST

CEP Technical Report No. 12
pipes that discharge directly onto nearshore reefs. Kitchen waste water contains high
concentrations of phosphates which are known to be detrimental to corals. Phosphate-free
detergents are now sold in supermarkets and their use should be encouraged.
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4.2 Manage and Protect all Life Stages
4.21 Review existing local laws and regulations
The Fisheries Regulation Act was passed in 1904 to consolidate the Acts of the island
relating to Fisheries under one piece of legislation. The Fisheries Regulation Act presently
encompasses turtle preservation, sea egg preservation, whaling, and the destruction of fish by
explosives and poisons. The Turtle Preservation section of the Act (1904) makes it unlawful (1)
to take or capture, or attempt to take or capture, any turtle or turtle eggs on the beach or within
one hundred yards of the shore; (2) to set or attempt to set any net or seine or other instrument
for the purpose of taking, capturing or fishing for turtles within one hundred yards of the shore;
(3) to buy, sell or expose for sale any turtle of weight less than 30 lbs (13.6 kg). No sea turtle
species is specifically named in the Act, and so it can be used to protect all species. Any person
caught in the process of contravening the above restrictions is liable to a fine of Bds. $100 (US
$50) and to the seizure of any turtles caught and any gear used, including boats. Proposed
changes to the Act to provide for more effective conservation of sea turtle resources are
summarized in section 4.23.
In 1981, a Designation of Restricted Areas Order designated the first restricted area,
known as the Barbados Marine Reserve. The Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement)
(Barbados Marine Reserve) Regulations 1981 protect marine life within the Reserve from
pollution and harvest. The Reserve extends 2.2 km along the west coast and 1000 m offshore
(Map 5). It is illegal to fish for turtles of any size within this area. However, the Reserve has not
been demarcated with buoys and so prosecution of persons breaking the law within the Reserve
is unlikely to be successful. There are also many laws and statutory instruments in existence to
assist in the protection of the beaches and territorial waters of Barbados. These have been
compiled into one document, with accompanying suggestions as to how their effectiveness may
be improved (Atherley, 1987; see also section 4.22). Legislation that is most important from the
perspective of preserving sea turtle nesting and feeding grounds is described briefly below.
Beach protection
The National Conservation Commission Cap 393, 1982, confers responsibility for beach
maintenance to the Commission. In this legislation the beach is defined as land adjoining the
foreshore for 33 m landwards. The Town and Country Planning Act Cap 240, 1968, includes
provisions guiding the development of land. Supplementing this Act, a Statutory Instrument
(No. 75, 1972) advises that no gate, fence or wall should be erected closer than 30 ft (9 m) from
high water mark and that no building development should take place closer than 100 ft (30 m) to
the high water mark. The Beach Protection Act Cap 389, 1980, prohibits the removal of beach
sediment from the foreshore with boat or vehicle, and protects certain named areas adjoining the
foreshore. The Land Acquisition Act Cap 228, 1980, authorizes the acquisition of land for
public purposes, such as for public access to beaches.