YES I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE MP; PC; NEPA.

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NEPA: Do not disturb sea turtle hatchlings
published: Friday | December 21, 2007

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has sought to remind the public that disturbing or harming sea turtle hatchlings, which may now be emerging along beaches around the island and on the offshore cays, is against the law.
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Thursday, 28 January 2010
Jamaican Sea-Turtles


While no specific figures are available for the island's sea turtle population, it has declined so rapidly in the past two decades or so, according to the National Environmental Planning Agency (NEPA), that turtles are these days found in only about 25 per cent of the historically-known nesting beaches.

So NEPA, and other Jamaican environmentalists, are on a campaign to build awareness about the problem and, hopefully, help in a regeneration of the turtle population.The Hawksbill is most plentiful in Jamaican waters but it too can only be found on 25 per cent of the island's traditional nesting beaches.
"We are concerned that the turtles are imperiled because people say that turtle meat is the sweetest," says Valerie Dixon, of the Manchester Environmental Protection Agency. "They also try to get their eggs to use in punches. It is supposed to improve their virility."


Environmental Officer at the Biodiversity Branch of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Josette La Hee, speaks to a local community group in Clarendon on the endangered sea turtles.
Indeed, says Josette La Hee, an environmental officer at NEPA's biodiversity division, fishermen now report far fewer sightings of turtles than in the 1980s.


Chairperson of the Manchester Environmental Protection Agency, Valene Dixon (right), discusses Jamaica's endangered sea turtles with reformed turtle catcher, Charles Moody (centre) and a member of her organisation, Glen Pitter.
There has been, too, a shift in the balance of the species.

According to environmentalists, six of the seven sea turtle species are found in Caribbean waters:

* Hawksbill;

* Green Turtle;

* Loggerhead;

* Leatherback;

* Kemp's Ridley; and

* Olive Ridley.

In the old days the Green Turtle used to be the most plentiful in Jamaica. But it has been replaced by the Hawksbill.

"We used to have an abundance of Green Turtle," says Andrea Donaldson, the co-ordinator of NEPA's biodiversity unit. "They say that you could almost walk on them. Now they are very rare -- an infrequent nester, the saying is."

In fact, that is the observation of Charles Moody, a fisherman for more than 40 years, who used to be an aggressive turtle catcher. He still fishes -- but not for turtles. He now helps the NEPA spread the word about preserving the reptiles.

"I used to catch a lot of turtles before but over the years I have learnt a lot about them and I have stopped," says Moody. "I realised that if we keep destroying them, pretty soon they will be like prehistoric animals to the next few generations."

While it knows that there is a problem, NEPA is attempting to get a firm handle on its scope. It is trying to build a corps of volunteers to monitor nesting by turtles on their regular beaches -- particularly in places like Portland Bight, a bay on Jamaica's south-eastern shore.

"The turtle is not an easy animal to survey," says Donaldson.

For instance, a turtle may nest up to four times for a year at 14 to 16 days intervals and it requires having volunteers in place to watch for her return. Outside the tedious processing of tagging, it is also difficult to determine whether it is the same turtle that has returned or if it is a new nester.

The process of determining the turtle population requires a network of dedicated volunteers and informed 'guesstimate' of numbers. Follow-up from one year to the other is also crucial.

Turtles nest throughout the year, but it is at this time of the year, summer, they mostly come ashore to lay their eggs and when they face the greatest risks -- from the natural sea predators of their hatchlings and from human beings.

"The nesting season is a particularly vulnerable time for the turtles," explains NEPA's La Hee. "The female comes ashore to lay her eggs a few weeks after mating has taken place. But she is at risk both from disturbances in the natural environment and those who would try to kill her or get her eggs."

Turtles are, in fact, a protected species under Jamaica's Wild Life Protection Act. Hunting of the animal for its meat or the poaching of its eggs are prohibited. Conviction for either could cost a person a year in jail or a fine of $500,000.

But environmentalists stress that while laws, with stiff penalties, are important to help save the turtles, public awareness is equally important.

Turtles need the space and freedom to nest and reproduce, notes La Hee. It is, in the best of time, a treacherous exercise for the turtle, which comes on land and digs a hole to lay her eggs. She then covers them and returns to the sea.

"They may spend two or more hours on shore for the entire nesting process," explains La Hee. "They deposit between 50 to 200 ping pong ball-shaped eggs. They nest during the warmest months of the year except the Leatherback, which nests in fall and winter."

Most turtles return to the same nesting beach each year and may nest every two to three years.

Beaches like those in Jamaica would, normally, be ideal nesting sites for temperature helps to determines the sex of hatchlings. If, for instance, the temperature is below 28 degrees Celsius all the hatchlings are male. At 35 degrees Celsius, or warmer, all hatchlings are female. At temperatures between 28 and 35 degrees the sex balance is more likely to be even.

The problem for the turtle population, however, is that if their eggs are found and eaten, there are fewer hatchlings to perpetuate the species. Even when the eggs hatch, hatchlings run a difficult gauntlet of predators to reach to the sea and after that face substantial challenges until maturity.

According to La Hee, human development and physical changes to the environment can also play havoc with turtles. Sometimes when turtles return to a nesting area construction may have changed or totally removed from the beach, leaving the turtle to wander the area.

"Sometimes when persons see the turtle wandering around they will kill it and eat it," says La Hee.

Yet, once its imprint is on the beach, the turtle keeps coming back -- for upwards of 30 years to the same beach on which it was hatched.

"They are a bit like homing pigeons," explains NEPA's Donaldson. "They always come back to the same place to nest."

Another man-made danger faced by turtles is littering -- on beaches and in the sea.

"The turtles can't differentiate between garbage and sea food so it can choke and kill them," La Hee points out. "So it is important that people don't disturb sea turtle nests or litter the beaches."

Turtles are also increasingly victims of drowning after they become ensnared in fishermen's nets, or are injured or killed by boats.

"They need to watch for turtles at sea," she says.

WHERE WAS ALL THIS KNOWLEDGE WHEN, ON THIS SITE, WE WERE DESPERATLY LOOKING FOR HELP AND SUPPORT?
In Oct. 2009 we were backpedalling trying to find supporters for the turtles. And now we hear this. Too bad this wasn't brought to our attention then. There was hardly any support on this site. That was discouraging. Go back and read the posts.

Wow, I had no idea so many turtles are native to Jamaica. Thanks for all this information! It made my day. God bless the turtles and keep them from extinction!

Thank you Harvey.

Yet another rare turtle hatching spot has been decimated by this oversized and overbuilt wall [edited by TBNet]

And it is indeed sad that those who are being paid to protect our country, environmentally and otherwise, seem to do more harm than not.

We always seem to take action when it is too late.

WAKE UP NEPA

Mr. Reynolds says:

NEPA: Do not disturb sea turtle hatchlings
published: Friday | December 21, 2007

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has sought to remind the public that disturbing or harming sea turtle hatchlings, which may now be emerging along beaches around the island and on the offshore cays, is against the law.
.................................................
IF this is actually against the law then it appears the law has been broken. One only has to walk around the wall on the beach to see this is true. I don't know where NEPA was when heavy equipment was down on the beach ruining the turtle nests, but I pray they do something now. By something I do not mean a letter or some other meaningless slap on the hand to both the land owner and the developer. Those who break the law deserve an adequate punishment. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

"INCREDIBLE JOURNEY"

Sometimes, beyond our powers to reason, educate or explain, it is the strength of an emotional response to deep ecological issues that often rules the day and reinforces the spine in us to push for the causes of habitat protection for you & me and our fellow creatures.

Anyone reading Mr. Reynold's thread must be shaken by the response and consciousness that he describes in regards to disregard for the turtle population, as long as it satisfied our "hungers"...turtle meat and soup prized as an exotic specialty, and "potency" nourishment, practically as much as the plunder of shark's fins.

"In fact, that is the observation of Charles Moody, a fisherman for more than 40 years, who used to be an aggressive turtle catcher. He still fishes -- but not for turtles. He now helps the NEPA spread the word about preserving the reptiles.

"I used to catch a lot of turtles before but over the years I have learnt a lot about them and I have stopped," says Moody. "I realised that if we keep destroying them, pretty soon they will be like prehistoric animals to the next few generations."

There is a Film out, called "Turtle: The Incredible Journey", which miraculously was able to chronicle one of the most secret journeys and odysseys of any marine creature...the Atlantic loggerhead turtle.

In its lifetime, cast adrift on the Gulf Stream and sent on a voyage around the North Atlantic, the story tracks one little loggerhead turtle (a touch Disneyfied) as she follows in the path of her ancestors on one of the most extraordinary adventures in the natural world...from a beach in Florida, Gulf-Streaming up towards the Artic...swimming around the North Atlantic, across to Africa and ultimately back to the beach where she was born...eons and eons before humans, such as Columbus, could even attempt such voyages.

Oh Wonder! Oh Respect! Oh, humbly interpreting Nature (the Divine) in what should be an Enlightened Common Sense!

VIDEO LINKS TO THE FILM:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vqd2kybRoI&NR=1

From Save Our Seas Foundation, in concert with all the more diligent NEPA's & JET's & such, out there in advocacy and challenging enforcement for sea & shore ecology.

www.saveourseas.com/turtlefilm

GOOGLE, BING OR ANY SEARCH ENGINE HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ON JUST ABOUT ANY SUBJECT.

THE INFORMATION I POSTED ON TURTLES WAS COPIED FROM THE NEPA WEB

NEPA, please walk the walk in addition to talking the talk. Can we trust you to uphold your own rules? If you do not, what is there to stop the next offender?

CO-EXISTENCE WITH TURTLES: "ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESS STORIES" (?)

VIDEO CLIPS:
From the PBS Special Journey to Planet Earth

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iwfRwU9Ouw&feature=related

EXTRA-EXTRA:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7rdNMtU208&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2p-eLsu544&feature=related

Mr. Reynolds, have you had an answer to any of the letters you wrote?

Thank you Mr Reynolds, ZED and all on this thread.

What better time to begin enlightened cooperation. It is for the good of ourselves, our offspring and theirs and the beings some claim we have Stewardship over. What better time to start than now. Pres Obama just suggested the same to his opponents too. Good company.

I imagine Jamaica perfumed by the multitude of blossoms as it could be. I have a vague idea how it would be to whistle for dolphins, manatee and birds and have them come ready to please. To swim with crocs and sharks with each understanding their spaces and respecting each others needs. Far far away, an exaggeration for effect, I guess. Anything else is grotesque.

Our Real Capital is not locked in the BOJ, it's in the air, under our feet and gurgling and swooshing, sweet and salty. Our toilet, garbage dump and a canvas for egos far out of the context of the Real.

I HAVE NOT HAD A REPLY FROM NEPA; THE MP OR THE PARISH COUNCIL.

I AM DEPENDING ON THEM TO ACT IN THE INTREST OF ALL.

HARVEY REYNOLDS

Actions are better than words, but it would be polite and professional to answer the many people who have taken the time to write the letters.

Thank you to Plea to NEPA.
I wish to add my own plea. {edited by TBNet}

HAS ANY ONE VISITED OLD WHARF RECENTLY? HAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BICKNELLS WALL CONTINUED? WHAT ACTION IF ANY HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE RELEVANT GOVERMENT ORGANIZATIONS.

I EXPECT THE GOVERMENT TO HEAR MY CRY, NOT ONLY WHEN THEY NEED MY VOTE.

There has been no construction there for at least a week, but the wall itself appears to be finished or very close to completion.

Has anyone else who wrote a letter heard back from any of the officials - especially MP Tufton or someone from the Parish Council? If not, can anyone venture a guess why people whose salaries are paid for by the citizens do not respond to the people who pay them? Can you imagine having an employee in the private sector, asking them a question and having them ignore you? Why does this happen in the public sector?

Why do we think that letters are going to do anything? can we shame the pulic officials? No! there is no accountability or punishment that can be levied. The focus should be on the community, what can be done there. And also on the individuals who are at the center of this [edited by TB.Net]

Mr. Peter Knight has been responsive. Now let's see if he will get NEPA to enforce their own rules. I have no faith in the Parish Council. Our MP has never indicated any interest in what would be good for this area after he got my vote.

Thank you Mr. Knight.

Why do you think letters will achieve no results? It is good for our officials to realize there are many people who deeply care about our environmental concerns. What we want is these officials to know we are not about to give up and for them to be as concerned as we are about the future of Treasure Beach.

Miss McCawlay said about 70 letters were received by Mr. Knight of NEPA. I believe this is a wonderful outpouring of support from out community and I am proud that people showed how much they care about the environment in TB. Even if this wall is allowed to stand my feeling is others who build will be much more careful in the future and never again try to build something like this. If we are fortunate NEPA will regard this as a wake up call and start to enforce their own rules and maybe even make their rules more strict and comprehensive.

Well said, Proud.

NEPA revised that figure for letters downwards to 30. I have asked for copies, under the Acces to Info act. Still have not heard the result of the appeal.

But yes, we will only have a vibrant democracy if we as citizens take part in it.

Diana from JET

Wondering if some were not accepted because Emails were not followed by letters, mine were not. Procedure is procedure, no signed paper, no good?

Others?

E-mails are fine to NEPA. Am not so sure about the Parish Council...

Diana from JET

Why do we need strong environmental regulations to protect Treasure Beach as well as the rest of Jamaica? Most simply put, it is NEVER a good thing to foul one's nest.

To Simple Reason: This is well said. Thank you for summarizing things in such an intelligent way.

Nothing yet to report?

Miss McCawlay, is ANYTHING happening on this matter?

I have been away from my computer since Wednesday, but I have not heard anything more from NEPA about this matter. Diana from JET

Since there's nothing new from the civil authorities, anyone knows if there's been any activity at the site?

Please keep us informed.