The Bahamas - The
Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources hereby announces that the
Fisheries Regulations governing marine turtles have been amended to give full
protection to all marine turtles found in Bahamian waters by prohibiting the
harvesting, possession, purchase and sale of turtles, their parts and eggs. The
new regulations also prohibits the molestation of marine turtle nests. The
regulations will come into effect on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009.
The Government has engaged in intensive and extensive consultations with
the public over the issue of the ban on the harvesting and sale of marine
turtles for the past twelve months. The commitment to the conservation and
preservation of these species while in Bahamian waters has been demonstrated by
the introduction of protective measures and safeguards over the past two
decades, starting with the actions taken to safeguard the hawksbill turtle in
1986.
