Starting today, September 1 2009, all sea turtles in the Bahamas are now fully protected by law.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has amended the Fisheries Regulations to "prohibit the harvesting, possession, purchasing and sale of marine turtles, inclusive of their parts and eggs."
All seven species of sea turtles that exist today are listed as "endangered", and five of those seven species are found throughout the Bahamas. The sea turtles that are found in the Bahamas are the Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback, and Olive Ridley.
Both Loggerheads and Hawksbill turtles even use the western beaches of Bimini for nesting.
In passing this amendment, the Bahamas has taken a significant step forward in promoting marine conservation and we applaud all who were involved in this effort.
