A female green sea turtle was killed on Wednesday related to a poaching incident which resulted in the arrest of two men.
The matter has prompted a warning from the Department of Environment against such criminal acts.
“Sea turtles are protected at all times under the National Conservation Act (2013) and it is illegal to possess or cause disturbance, harm or death to a sea turtle. Perpetrators are liable for up to $500,000 fine and/or 4 years in prison,” the DoE said in statement on Friday.
The turtle, which was a sub-adult aged between 10 and 15 years, died hours after she was rescued from her captors.
“The female turtle had been speared through her shell multiple times with a double-pronged spear and was still alive when recovered. Despite the best efforts of multiple vets from both the Cayman Turtle Centre and Island Vets, the turtle passed away due to the extent of the injuries,” the DoE said.
The DoE said conservation officers had responded to a report on Wednesday about a suspicious vessel in South Sound, which resulted in them recovering a green sea turtle that had been illegally captured and removed from the water.
The suspects had reportedly taken their boat out of the water with the turtle onboard.
“Upon being followed they took a corner too fast which flipped the trailer causing the boat and turtle to be thrown into the road,” the DoE said.
The two men were subsequently apprehended and their equipment, including boat, trailer and vehicle, were seized, the DoE said.
The incident is under investigation.
Sea turtles are designated as Part 1 protected species in the Cayman Islands due to their vulnerable status in the wild, the DoE said.
“Illegal take has serious impacts on sea turtles as only a very small proportion of sea turtles survive to maturity and they have very slow growth rates, taking more than 20 years to reach breeding age. Loss of a very small number of sub-adult and mature turtles can have long-lasting impacts on Cayman’s small population,” the DoE said.
DoE Deputy Director Tim Austin lauded the teamwork which led to the successful apprehension of the suspected poachers.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to those involved including our Conservation Officers and the RCIPS for their swift response and to the Cayman Turtle Centre and Island Vets for their incredible knowledge and immediate assistance. We urge the public to remain vigilant and please report any suspicious activities to 911 or 916-4271,” Austin said.
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Let’s look forward to a serious prison sentence for these criminals that will deter others.
When will they ever learn?
When will they eeeever learn?
We consistently have cases of conch, lobster and turtles being caught illegally in protected areas. Most of the perpetrators get away with it as we do not have enough personnel to adequately enforce the preservation laws around the islands.. For now we must largely rely on concerned citizens to report this activity. The men arrested no doubt are known to the police and I trust they receive time in prison together with confiscation of their vehicle, boat and equipment. We will never stop this altogether but we can make it much more difficult for them.