Bahamas Announces Full Turtle Protection

The Bahamas government has announced that as of September 1, it will be illegal to harvest, possess, buy, or sell all Bahamian sea turtles.
The new regulations also outlaw the tampering of turtle nests and eggs.
“This is amazing and wonderful,' Kim Aranha, co-chairman of the Bahamas Sea Turtle Conservation Group, told The Tribune of Nassau.
The ban follows a persistent campaign by conservationists, animal rights activists and members of the public who are concerned because all sea turtles are either on the Threatened or Endangered List.
The majority of Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty brokers, agents and staff publicly supported the ban.
The Ministry of Fisheries conducted an extensive survey to get the opinion of a wide cross section of people in the Bahamas, particularly local fishermen. Aranha understands almost 90 percent of those polled were in favour of the ban.
She said her group will work with the government to educate the public on the new regulations.
The Bahamas Sea Turtle Conservation Group in recent months collected an estimated 5,000 signatures supporting the ban.
The Bahamas government says it's been committed to the conservation and preservation of marine turtles in the Bahamas, starting with giving the Hawksbill turtle protection in 1986.
Until recently, the turtle season was closed until April 1 to July 31.
A huge segment of the Bahamas tourist industry is built on wild marine life. Kerzner International's flagship Atlantis resort on Paradise Island Bahamas centres on one of the largest, if not the largest, saltwater outdoor aquariums in the world.
Scuba dive operations, shark feeds, dolphin encounters and out island excursions all evolve around the spectacular marine life found in the Bahamas.
We can tell you from first hand experience, there's nothing so thrilling as spotting a shy turtle peeping above the waterline before quickly diving for cover, or hovering above a gorgeous coral reef before taking off like lightning.
The Bahamas government's ban will allow turtles to be around for future generations to enjoy.
(c) Athena Damianos