Re: Yet another dead turtle

Posted by Bret on May 8, 2009, 6:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Yet another dead turtle"
189.162.26.138

(Hi, from one of the volunteers of the La Manzanilla sea turtle sanctuary.) Wow, it's great that you can see hundreds of turtles out in their world. We only see a small slice of their lives (or deaths) here on the beach. I agree: there are so many causes of death (human and otherwise) for the adult turtles (not to mention the young ones), but these latest dead ones may not be a sign of any real change in our vicitnity. Hopefully it's just normal statistical fluctuation. I will ask the marine biologist from the Univ of Guadalajara who works in Melaque about these cases when I talk to him next. However, I'm pretty sure it is NOT legal to take or use any parts of marine turtles. I can't point you to the exact law, but up the coast a couple hours at the La Gloria sea turtle sanctuary I saw the following sign: "Sustraer, destruir, o consumir productos o subproductos de tortugas marinas es delito federal." (PROFEPA-SEMARNAT) My translation would be: "To remove (or steal), destroy, or consume products or subproducts of marine turtles is a federal offense." All species of sea turtles have been fully protected (no fishing quotas, no human use) by Mexican federal law since 1990, according to training materials we volunteers have received from the local marine biologist. Francisco (the local man authorized by the delegado to find and move the sea turtle eggs into the sanctuary) told me this morning he would have the 2 latest carcasses taken to some property down the beach to be processed by the vultures, so the beach-goers and restaurant patrons won't have to hold their noses :-)

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