Oceana - Protecting the World's Oceans: Support Us

Tell the Bahamas to Stop Killing Sea Turtles

Take Action to Protect Sea Turtles!

While you may 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.

Please use the form below to contact Michael Braynen, the Director of the Bahamas' Department of Marine Resources, and tell him to take action to protect sea turtles.

November 20, 2009

Subject:

Dear Mr. Braynen:

I’m writing to you because I’m very concerned about the killing of sea turtles in the Bahamas. Legal sea turtle fishing is a grave threat to threatened and endangered sea turtle populations, including loggerheads, greens, leatherbacks, and Kemp’s ridleys.  Some sea turtle populations have faced a steep decline in the past decade, with scientists estimating that loggerhead nesting in Florida has decreased by more than 50%.

As a resident of the US, I am interested in your final decision as your actions impact US turtles.  Sea turtles are highly migratory animals – some loggerheads spend up to 11 years in the Bahamas before migrating to the United States to nest.  The Bahamas is also home to several of the most important green turtle foraging grounds in the world.  After migrating out of protected U.S. waters, turtles can legally be caught and killed in the Bahamas.

The hard work of turtle conservation efforts in the United States is being undermined by the lack of protection in the Bahamas – and this must stop immediately!  Sea turtle activists, conservationists, scuba divers and tourists agree: turtles are worth more alive than dead and the only way to successfully protect sea turtles is with a cooperative international effort. 
 
Please prohibit the harvesting, selling, and purchasing of turtles and turtle products in the Bahamas.  This will increase the potential for vulnerable turtle populations to recover across our region.

We will add your signature from the information you provide.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Street*

Street 2

City*

State/Province*

Zip/Postal Code*