An animal protection organization that raised concerns over conditions at the Cayman Turtle Farm says its talks with government appear to have broken down.
The World Animal Protection group issued a statement late last week saying that the Cayman Islands government had not responded to its concerns for two months.
CEO of the animal welfare protection group, Mike Baker said, “Despite highly positive discussion[s] nearly two months ago, we are disappointed that the [government] has failed to provide World Animal Protection with any updated formal response on the [Turtle] Farm’s conditions.” When contacted for comment on the organization’s complaint, the Turtle Farm referred the Cayman Compass to the Premier’s Office, which did not respond by press time Tuesday.
As part of its report into conditions at the Turtle Farm, the organization recommended it operate solely as a rehabilitation and release facility to protect the turtle population, rather than continue to breed and sell turtles for consumption.
“Overcrowding, cannibalism, injuries and disease among approximately 10,000 endangered green sea turtles at the Turtle Farm remains a significant concern,” Mr. Baker said in the statement.
According to the release, areas of “mutual concern” over animal welfare conditions at the Turtle Farm included “overcrowding, the possible introduction of infectious diseases into the wild through the Farm’s turtle release program, and the illegal poaching of wild sea turtles.”
The Turtle Farm has long argued that it works in favor of endangered sea turtles by providing farmed turtles to fans of turtle meat, thus preventing wild turtles from being poached in local waters, and also by releasing young turtles into the wild.
“The root causes of acute animal suffering at the Farm, such as the severe overcrowding of turtles there, simply cannot be ignored any longer. World Animal Protection’s door remains open, but the [government] must want to walk through,” Mr. Baker said.
A study organized by the Department of Environment and funded by the U.K.’s Darwin Initiative is currently being carried out by researchers to determine just how popular turtle meat is among consumers in the Cayman Islands. The three-year study also looks at the role of the Turtle Farm in meeting local demand.
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