Bahamas Bans Turtle Fishing

Soups, stews and pies flavored with chunks of sea turtle meat is now illegal across the 700 islands of the Bahamas.

Despite opposition from many fishermen, the Bahamas has amended fisheries laws to give full protection to all sea turtles found in the Atlantic archipelago’s waters by banning the harvest, possession, purchase and sale of the endangered reptiles, including their eggs.

“Young people here have never tasted turtle, but it had continued to be eaten by the older population in some of the outer islands,” said Kim Aranha, a co-chairman of The Bahamas Sea Turtle Conservation Group, which led the campaign to protect sea turtles. “So we’re really happy our work has paid off with this ban; the turtles couldn’t do it themselves.”

Previously, the Bahamian government permitted harvesting of all species of sea turtles except the hawksbill. Flesh had been used by restaurants and shells for tourist keepsakes despite turtles’ status as endangered species.