Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Barbados - WIDECAST

CEP Technical Report No. 12
mong the judiciary may assist the efforts of the Royal Barbados Police Force to enforce
environmental legislation. The Fisheries Division, recognizing that the turtle preservation
section of the Fisheries Legislation Act is presently both inadequate to deter poaching and
difficult to enforce, is advising prohibition of sea turtle harvesting within the jurisdiction of
Barbados. This proposal is strongly supported by this Recovery Action Plan.
Atherley (1987) identifies problems with the legislation pertaining to the coastal zone as
it presently stands and makes suggestions for improvement. A primary problem is that in the
absence of local statutes governing specifically identified sensitive areas, such as seriously
eroding beaches, Common Law gives owners the right to defend their seaward boundaries and to
claim naturally accreted land as part of their own property. Accretion at one site as a result of
groynes and sea defenses usually means erosion of property elsewhere. Present legislation
contained in the Town Planning Act makes it illegal to erect such structures without permission
from a central advisory body. However, terms such as "foreshore" and "high water mark" need
to be clearly defined and standardized from one law to the next in order for the legislation to be
effective.
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4.23 Propose new regulations where needed
It is the recommendation of this Recovery Action Plan that the present legislation
protecting juvenile and adult sea turtles, as well as sea turtle eggs, should be expanded to a
moratorium with large fines for violators. The present penalties are wholly inadequate. The
fisheries legislation has been re-drafted and is presently being considered by Cabinet. The
proposed legislation will give full protection to all species of sea turtles and their eggs and
prohibit the use of trammel or entangling nets in Barbados waters. Penalties will be increased
substantially over current levels. It is also important for Barbados to accede to CITES in order to
reinforce planned improvements to national legislation with international trade restrictions on sea
turtles and their products. Accession to CITES will restrict the import and export of turtle meat
and products into and out of Barbados (see section 4.31).
4.231 Eggs
Although current regulations are theoretically sufficient to protect sea turtle eggs (harvest
is illegal at all times), the penalty is inadequate to serve as a deterrent. As part of holistic turtle
preservation legislation, there must be an increase in the penalty incurred for egg poaching.
Eggs need protection from beach erosion. In this context, existing coastal zone
legislation concerning beachfront development must be enforced. Many contemporary
development practices serve to exacerbate erosion and promote beach loss (section 3.1). Trees
with a circumference of >1 m measured 1 m from the ground are protected in the Trees
(Preservation) Act 1981, but additional legislation to protect beach vegetation such as sea grape
and crab grass from clearance is necessary. The removal of beach vegetation accelerates erosion
and can precipitate the loss of sea turtle nests.
Eggs need protection from beach compaction. This can be achieved through temporarily
fencing off nests, digging up nests at the end of incubation to release hatchlings, or carefully