Report slams Turtle Farm
(CNS): A global animal welfare charity has published a damning report on the Cayman Turtle Farm, which suggests that there are some serious shortcomings at the facility. The report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) found that the Farm is not meeting the welfare needs of the animals under its care and poses a threat not just to those animals but the wild population as well. It points to very poor conditions, including water quality, the turtles’ diet, disease, congenital defects in the captive bred creatures and overcrowding in the tanks. Criticising the organisation, government has denied the allegations and announced plans for an independent audit of CTF.
Government and the CTF accused WSPA on Friday of making “spurious” and “sensational” allegations as part of its goal is to end the commercial farming operation and change the local culture because of a failure to understand Cayman.
The Turtle Farm costs the public purse some CI$10 million in subsidies every year and the price of turtle meat which it produces has increased significantly. According to the research conducted by the WSPA, it costs each tax payer almost CI$12,000 to produce a turtle for meat. WSPA said it presented its report to the Cayman Turtle Farm much earlier this year but the CTF has not released or commented on the findings until now, which has come as a result of the WSPA’s decision to go public with its campaign to persuade government to change the farm to a real conservation facility.
Government officials from both the premier’s ministry and the Turtle Farm released statements late Friday evening denying all the accusations and criticising the animal welfare organisation. It said it had never been accused of these things before and there was no evidence for the WSPA’s findings.
“The CTF is subject to regular inspections by government entities, as well as independent external assessors, to ensure that it complies with health and safety regulations and provides a high quality and responsible tourism experience,” government said. “Prior to the claims by the WSPA, the Cayman Islands Government has never been confronted with allegations or claims of evidence of animal cruelty, nor has there been any suggestion whatsoever of risks to the health and safety of visitors who enjoy the attraction.”
However, the WSPA report includes details supported by damning pictures. The organisation also has film footage to support its claims showing disease, overcrowding, poor water conditions and many other problems at the facility. Calling for the farm to be converted into a conservation facility and to cease the commercial farming, which the activists say has been a failure, the WSPA has offered to assist in the transition, but it states that the Farm has not responded to that offer.
Government claims that the Turtle Farm has had discussions with the charity, which is when it agreed to independent examination of the WSPA’s claims.
“Notwithstanding the preponderance of evidence to the contrary, the allegations by the WSPA are being taken seriously,” government said, adding it that it would conduct an audit of the farm operations and the welfare of the animals in December. However, it said changing the model of the farm would require a political decision.
“In all meetings and communications with the WSPA thus far, it has been clearly stated that the decision to alter the business model and objectives of the Cayman Turtle Farm would require a decision by the Cayman Islands Cabinet, and a timeline was agreed and subsequently adjusted by both parties to enable these high-level discussions to take place,” the farm said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
But instead, the farm claimed, the WSPA has “embarked on a smear campaign to coerce the Turtle Farm to submit to the WSPA’s demands”, even though “their allegations are unfounded, erroneous and sensationalised,” the statement read.
The Turtle Farm said it found no evidence of the kinds of injuries or defects among the turtles that the WSPA is listing in its report. “Rather, we have instead succeeded in maintaining the health and well-being of our turtle population through established veterinary treatment protocols and methods,” it said.
However, for some time there have been major concerns about the farm’s hatch ratings, the death of hatchlings and other problems regarding the quality of the water and feed. More recently, a tank full of 300 turtles died as a result of some technical fault in a tank during repairs to a leak in the farm’s main pipe. A full explanation of what happened has not yet been given to the tax-payer.
The WSPA has a number of pictures clearly showing poor water quality, as well the over-crowded conditions, disease and defects in the population of turtles at the farm. It says that turtles need substantial amounts of good quality water but the tanks at the farm are not cleaned regularly, leaving uneaten food and voided faeces that quickly contaminate the living environment.
“The result is a foul mix of water, debris and pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria and viruses that pose a significant threat to turtle welfare,” the report found.
Among other criticisms WSPA notes that the turtles which would normally eat sea grass as adults in the wild are fed solely on a fish food pellets. It also describes the problems associated with the arbitrary handling of turtles by members of the public. It said this is stressful for the turtle and can lead to injury if the inexperienced handler drops a struggling animal. The report warns that with traces of disease and pathogens on the turtle visitors could also get sick.
The WSPA says it saw significant evidence of congenital defects throughout the farm. “Many of these individuals exhibit anophthalmia (absence of one or both eyes) with marked skeletal deformities,” the report states. “In the wild, these deformities would most likely have resulted in early natural mortality … in the farm, their blindness renders them even more susceptible to injury and disease as a result of their reduced ability to feed and avoid co-occupant aggression.”
Although the turtle farm has claimed that it makes a significant contribution to conservation because of the release programme, the report states that the CTF’s conservation efforts may be negligible or even detrimental to wild turtle populations.
“Following a detailed assessment, WSPA also has severe concerns regarding the potential impact of the Cayman Turtle Farm on wild sea turtle conservation efforts,” it stated.
“We want to help the farm change for the better,” Dr Neil D’Cruze, the WSPA Wildlife Campaign Leader said in the wake of the release of the report. “But its unwillingness to meet us halfway is posing a great challenge. There’s a reason that CTF is the last turtle farm in the world – it’s an outdated model which no longer does justice to the Cayman Island’s turtle heritage.
“WSPA wants to work with the farm to turn the facility into a place that Caymanians can be proud of. Science and society moves on and WSPA would like to help CTF make a positive change, for the turtles, for tourism and for the island,” he added.
See statements from government and the WSPA report below.
See more on the campaign and images here
All pictures provided by WSPA.
Category: Science and Nature
As an ex employee of CTF I have to admit that everything WSPA claims is true and the the CTF is totally trying to cover its back with their responses. I left as I could no longer bear to be a part of it. I can not go into too much detail as I would be writing for hours. Wake up Cayman and review the need for this uneeded intensive farming practice.
Very interesting! I'm sure that the WSPA would very much want to hear from anyone with previous connections to the turtle farm, even if they have already been in touch, to ensure WSPA has an accurate account of the situation.
I've seen on their website you can reach them at 00 44 7969886483 or e-mail turtles@wspa-international.org
I remember as a child enjoying the old turtle farm experience. Unfortunately, what is was then is not what it is now. I don't recall the water being that disgusting in the tanks (it's literally disgusting, I wouldn't let children touch it). I don't remember so many turtles confined in such a small space that they are basically smacking each other with every attempt to swim. Perhaps that was my ignorance as a child. Or perhaps it demonstrates the change in management and lack of attention to detail. I would rather have significantly less turtles that are happy and healthy and reproducing quality eggs, than hundreds more with clear defects, bites, disease and having no space whatsoever. That has been the number one complaint from my visitors. They didn't like how many turtles were there stuck in these small, shallow tanks. The second was the smell and how brown the water was, whether from food or lack of filtration system – I don't know. For the TF to say there are no defects and there are no diseases; for them to question scientists and testing and photographic evidence is appalling. Embarassing. Disappointing.
Accept the findings and work with them to make it better.
That's "Caymankind" for you, in case you weren't aware. "Caymankind" – why we do the things, the way we do.
Please visit the wspa website and sign the petition to stop this abuse.
http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=24&ea.campaign.id=16220
Kind of expensive, 10mil/year to keep an "ethnic" food on a few people's plates?
That is not why the $10m p.a. is being spent. FYI in the 1990s when the farm served only as a basic tourist attraction and source of meat it turned a small profit.
The corruption (remember the director who was helping himself to an extra $5,000 per month?) and the incompetence (remember the turtles and sharks that have been killed? Observe the filth water?) at the turtle farm is highly visible due to the high visibility of the turtle farm itself.
However, the turtle farm is only the tip of the ice berg. The same stuff goes on throughout the entire government. No wonder the government costs us all so much.
The last I week for for a company sponsored event. At the touch tank my daughter interacted with the young turtle, which was exciting for her. To my surprise, no soap or disinfectant was available to properly santize her hands after the interaction. I would think that would be very important expecially since they are catering to young children to interact with theturtles.
Turtle Farm has seen it best days and those are long gone.
Salmonella is a naturally occuring bacteria in turtles. That is why every turtle care site instructs you to wash hands and arms with hot soapy water after handling.
P*ss up in a brewery. The Cayman Turtle Prison is a monument to the ineptitude of CIG and the futility of having it run ANYTHING directly.
I visited the facility with my young kids last year and was horrified to find that our pre-school kids were allowed to handle hatchlings that were no more than a week old without any supervision whatsoever. Nobody was making sure kids washed their hands or handled them properly. The supposed "attendent" was just sitting there yapping to tourists while kids snatched baby turtles from their siblings and threw them back in the water.
It was truly sickening.
Cruelty to animals is a worldwide epidemic. It is our failure as humans to see all living things as anything other than merchandise to be used as we see fit not as living, breathing, feeling creatures who serve their own purpose not in any way related to us. Please do not make this out to be a Caymanian issue only or ask people to believe that farming practices in the UK or US are any different than what you are seeing here I would even venture to throw out there that in some cases the blatant abuse is much worse. But I would also like to throw out there that we are a small community and we have seen time and time again that our voice does matter so change can be made quite quickly (especially around election time) and we as Caymanians must be able to look past our stomachs and see the bigger picture. These animals are suffering, the conservation methods made are a token effort and have no real effect on the potential extinction issue. We as a people need to move to a higher plain of consciousness and for a moment stop thinking only of the here and now think past the self-gratification and perhaps for once do something for a creature who will never be able to pay you back. I love a good turtle stew don’t get me wrong but now that my eyes have been openedI can no longer partake. We should petition to have the farm converted into a proper conservation facility then perhaps given time the natural/wild population will reach numbers that if regulated properly Caymanians will once again be able to fish for them in the way of our forefathers ….
Check out http://earthlings.com/ It is quite an eye opener …
I am with you
Thank you so much for your educated, detailed response. I have known about the awful conditions these animals have been kept under for years and have been afraid as an expat about speaking out. I know for a fact that this outrages many people and thousands would like to do something proactive to help. Please let me know if you plan on taking any action, I.e. petitions, etc and I would help you in any way I can. I work in the medical profession and have many clients who are interested in stopping this abuse.
Stop eating da freakin' turtles! Let them go and close that hellhole down. Start farming your land and get rid of the excess immigrants.
Why don't WSPA try and deal with these Dolphin waterpark prisons and capturing Stingrays worldwide that's what they need to do the Turtle Farm has obviously a number of issues but at least its based on research, conservation and preservation goals. This obviously cost money you can bet WSPA has not come up with one single suggestion on how to do this. We know this game now don't we??
Just last week I saw an ad in the Compass for a "cook" at the turtle farm. That turned me right off. You can't parade animals/reptiles/mammals to the general public and expect us to go googoo-gaga over them knowing they will be slaughtered to death for "our" consumption! They wouldn't dare do this to the dolphins or at any zoo animal for that matter. I don't understand the concept of this at all…I'd like to see the stats on who is actually eating turtle meat – is it the tourists or the Caymanians?
Am I really reading some of these comments? Are you guys serious?
Personal opinions on the foods some people choose to eat are one thing, but attacking and slandering the collective history, culture and essence of an entire nation of people is another.
Are we actually suggesting that what goes on at the turtle farm and the nutritional preferences of some Caymanians are comparable to:
I remember just a few weeks ago there was such a great call to "unite", hold hands, and sing Kumbuya for the sake of a better Cayman – for one and all.
What ever happened to all of that, eh?
Perhaps some of us think our role in life to come and save the "3rd world", "barbaric" savages of Cayman from themselves?
(The core values of Caymanian culture run through my veins, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to portray them in this environment. To do so in certain circles of our society today is akin to suicide.)
As an individual that has taken the time to educate myself on actual world history, I challenge any outsider to compare or judge the historical and current humanity (actual humanity, i.e. "person to person" – not hugging a dog) of my Caymanian people to theirs.
I only trust my fellow Caymanians are wide awake to certain elements in our midst today. These anonymous sentiments expressed daily on CNS shed much light on what is taking place in our community at the moment.
I sincerely hope that the individuals behind them realize the deep-seeded and age-old spirit within that serves as the catalyst for their despicable thoughts and words … in this year of 2012 no less.
I make no apologies for calling things as they are – regardless of who it offends.
* I reiterate my initial position regarding the actual WSPA report and campaign on the Cayman turtle farm. It reads as a propaganda piece designed to tug at the emotions of the biased and emotional. Nevertheless, it seems to have done the job … on some folks.
as usual..avoiding the issue at hand…. in your mind there is always something worse to make yourself feel better…….sad…
Playing Devil's Advocate again I see… get over yourself Whodatis.
There is a strong streak of bitterness in your two posts, and you have gone way off subject.
Clearly that was not the point that was made by the poster, who was pointing out that past, uncivilised conduct by other countries is not an excuse for small countries today (especially those with short histories) to act in a manner now shunned by the developed countries. Much of the world has moved on to more enlightened times, as I am sure you are aware. Major cruelty issues still apply in parts of the world, especially in Asia, but most countries by and large do what they can, and much is down to the general level of educution in the country concerned. Cayman can do better, so why not? – starting with changing the manner in which the turtle farm is run, and deciding if it is a tourist / educational / research facility, or just a meat farm. If the latter, close it to tourists.
Whatever it was that made you so bitter, I hope you can deal with those issues in time.
I wonder "WHO THAT IS " that at times writes very intelligent and provocative pieces, but now "rants" about this article, which admittedly is based on direct site observations made by WSPA.
What you seem to not understand is that we're not this little isolated Island anymore, and we can't keep shooting the messenger. Lets get our house in order and prevent them making anymore negative reports about the Farm. We are a tourist destination! The Turtle Farm is one of our main tourism attractions! So lets bury our egos {God knows there are a lot of them] and work with such organizations to improve on the product! Don't "PISS THEM OFF" and cause them to be even more determined to inflict damage on us!
Let us cut back the number of animals to a manageable herd and maintain a specific number for local consumption which are fed their natural food "turtle grass" which can be harvested from many areas around the island. This way we can be sure that we are eating a safe healthy meat! I personally don't trust the manufacturers of the stuff we now feed these turtles. If food for humans in many cases is known to have been contaminated with dangerous substances {inadvertently tho it may be} why would it not happen with feed for these animals?
Let's get act together "Turtle Farm" and let's not have any more "less than stellar" inspections by anyone!
PETA and WSPA are both the same bunch of nutjobs if you ask me. Seems like a good organization but riddled with agendas namely lining their pockets.
I love animals but these people are not about the love of animals but more about exposure. They are like the Enquirer of organizations. Anything to raise funds.
You need to understand English first, you obviously have no idea what the poster was trying to say and no intention of trying to learn. As for your actual world history garbage, you are just a sad little isolationist who makes the same old tortured whinges everytime someone comes up with an idea that doesn't suit your idea of Cayman. From the crap that you post, you have no idea how the real world operates or much about world history for that matter.
Core values of Caymanian culture, don't make me laugh.
My biggest fan here …
🙂
Who is responsible for the guarantee that exposes the government to $60m if the place closes down?
Here is my take on that:
If the funding agreement was handled properly , procured through the right channels and do so following all the right policies and proceedures, and was tested to ensure value for the Cayman people, then the Cayman Islands should be responsible for the cost.
If (as I suspect) no such proper studies were done, and it was signed off by someone who felt they knew better than everyone else, or any panel of experts that this represents good value, then whomever signed the agreement should be responsible.
Chances of this happening thou? ZERO.
At the rate we are going we will soon not be able to walk on the ants outside.
What makes it right to treat one animal one way and another the other?
Its not okay to kill Dolphins, Conchs, Turtles but chickens are fair game. Cows we can kill all we want as well.
I am all for preservation but you guys need to focus.
There are people in the world starving to death and you guys are worried about animals.
Now there are some that have said the turtle farm need to be run better thats fine. But lets not go and compare Caymanians to hitler and all the monsters of this world.
The Americans were busy killing of the indians that were in the US before them and the Europeans came to the Caribbean and killed off many of the roiginal people here and now we are worried about turtles.
Get a life.
Get better management for the Turtle farm.
The water slide is pretty cool.
We didnt need a report to know all this. Ray Charles can see how disgusting that place is.
What district is Ray Charles from? Or is he an expat?
Promotions and bonuses for everyone!
If one knew the history of the Turtle Farm one would know that it was run efficiently up until the sacking of Dr. Wood, who ran the place as a business, and a research center for the preservation of the species. But then came the Politicians of the day, who thru CRONYISM and NEPOTISM appointed INEPT & IRRESPONSIBLE people who have not the faintest idea of how to run such a facility, thus the fiasco we now see occurring!
Examples:
1. Two hundred ninety nine [I don't know why they didn't just make it three hundred] turtle were destroyed and not one credible explanation forthcoming from the Managing Director.
2. $10,000,000.00 in subsidies per annum but we have mutant animals in the herd and . maintenance is non existent based on photos in this article! Rusted pipes etc. Is there any wonder why this place is going "DOWN THE DRAIN" [no pun intended]
Any place else and heads would have rolled, but not in Cayman. You see, we can't do that because he's my brother or my father or political supporter or friend or brown-noser.
I suggest that MAY 2013 be designated "HOUSE-CLEANING MONTH" and we get rid of every "USELESS PIECE OF CRAP" that's making us sick!
Just curious why you put “caps” around “worthless pieceof crap” as a title…
So who do you mean..,NAmE &Shame if u do not support
I suggest that MAY 2013 be designated "HOUSE-CLEANING MONTH" and we get rid of every "USELESS PIECE OF CRAP" that's making us sick!
The poster said useless piece of crap although I agree, the persons they speak of are worthless, wukless pieces of crap. It seems to me the poster is suggesting we get rid of our useless, worthless, wukless politicians come the next election. Do you really need the poster to name and shame them now? It seems to me obvious who they spoke of.
Political agendas are ruining my college also no matter how well-intentioned our president is. I have seen faculty run off in favor of unqualified cousins of mine. We bring in the worst students and drive out the best. We feel like the turtles. We deserve better. It is shameful to see taxes go to churches and high schools while our college is decaying. Please support our future.
The three blind-mice running that show would rather take photo-ops and terroize a few of the faculty. They are proud of thier high turn-over rate of instrutors and use that fact often as leverage.
you guys want to here the truth ! there back up diesl pump was down they should have fired the operation manger that who they should have fried not the farm worker discuting bunch of sick people !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a Caymanian from several generations. When my family and I came home for a visit a couple of years ago, I made sure we spent time at the Turtle Farm (swimming, etc.) so they could experience something very local and special.
When we were watching the turtles in one of the tanks, it was very disturbing to see them in a constant state of wrestling to get to the surface for air. They were stacked one on top of the other; extremely overcrowded and in a constant state of distress. Not a very peaceful sight to watch.
When we watched the "shark show" we all commented on how dirty the tank was. And there was a huge turtle with several feet of some kind of "sea weed" growing on its back, trailing behind kind of like a kite tail. This really upset me, so I approached the man in charge of the show. I asked him (already knowing the answer -poor dirty conditions and maintenance) why the turtle was in that state, and why did the tank have so much algae growing all around the walls? He said, very abrubtly, "that is what the sun does." He had no idea I was a Caymanian and knew exactly what the problem was. He, by the way, was if I remember correctly, an American, by his accent.
Turtle Farm could be a wonderful attraction, but it (at least when I was there) was poorly maintained. And of course it would take a great influx of people spending the day there and spending lots of money to make it break even. There were only a handful of people there when we attended.
As for the turtle meat; Caymanians have to have it. Turtle meat is very nutritious and healthy, since they are vegetarians. There is a good balance, in my opinion of harvesting and repopulation at the old "Mariculture" project. We have actually seen turtles in the surrounding sea . which is a good sign.
Hopefully the Turtle Farm will be able to survive and thrive, but it needs a lot of work. And a lot of dollars from the public.
Just like those poor turtles fighting for air, struggling to survive, the Turtle Farm is overcrowded with everything except forwhat it takes to survive, and symbolically gasping for air.
Good project: not generating enough revenue to sustain itself.
'Caymanians have to have it'. Why, isn't the multitude of junk food, (that see's long queues forming at all times of the day) enough for you?
You don't have to have anything, its a choice and one that should be made lawfully and ethically, not with a sense of entitlement. But then that's this country's problem, we are constantly hearing the whinging cries of, 'it's the Cayman way', 'nobody understands', 'it's cultural', I suggest that it's actually a 19th century mindset that is based in greed, selfishness, cruelty and of isolationist entiltlement.
Other country's have adapted their food sources, whales, seals, shark, horses, dogs and a multitude of other fishes and animals have been perminantly excluded from most 1st world nation's diets. And they have done so for ethical or conservational reasons, you see, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. But then again, Cayman's route to maturity and ethical behaviour has many black marks against its name, so why should animal welfare be any different.
I took visitors to the "new" Turtle Farm shortly after it opened. The conditions you describe were there already.
My friend was so offended we hustled the kids out. He tellspeople it is "Auschwitz for turtles".
Isn't the rest of the world all up in arms about shark finning and killing dolphins in Japan, but yet it's ok for Cayman to farm and eat sea turtles? Just something to think about…
"Turtle meat is very nutritious and healthy, since they are vegetarians".
Read the article. Their diet at the farm is NOT vegatarian. Its fish meal pellets – they are being forced to eat something unnatural to them. When man tried this with cows the result was mad cow disease. Eat farmed turtle meat at your own risk!
Farmed turtles eat farmed fish that were fed by genetically modied corn. Question? Are these turtles vegetatian?
No, they are sea reptiles ; <).
The turtles at the Turtle farm eat pellet food not fish.
Ah now we might be getting somewhere on a medical explanation for the behaviour of Mac and the West Bay electorate.
Turtles eat jellyfish.
One question for WSPA: what about the dolphins? Until the tar is spread evenly there can be no respect for their goals.
(This doesn't mean the Farm doesn't need to improve their husbandry standards. Just don't try and dress this up as anything other than an anti-farming initiative.)
You obviously have no clue who or what the WSPA stands for. They were represented here in full force too however then covered by Humane Society International (A very similar organization) prior to the opening of these dolphin abusements parks but as we all know, it takes the humane and politcal will to listen to them and follow their advice which they obviously did not do. They have attempted many times to close Seaworld and others as well but could not for thesame reason, in particular post the death of the orca trainer.
If you have an interest, please go to http://www.wspa-usa.org to find out more about their work, domestically in the USA or WSPA International. They are represented in about 22 countries around the world.
As I do not eat farmed fish, I would never eat farmed turtle. The difference between wild and farmed is as black and white. Just read about farmed talapia, made me want to puke.
I was just reviewing the comments to the turtle farm report by the WSPA and as usual we have the usual suspects who blindly attack anyone who is critical of anything Cayman and then another group more than ready to attack the turtle farm. Having been there, I wanted to read the report before forming an opinion and I would really have difficultynot taking that report seriously. Obviously the photos were disturbing but the turtle over crowding has always been apparent.
Where part of the confusion about the turtle farm comes from is the misunderstanding of the purpose of the turtle farm to begin with. The turtle farm is a slaughter house for turtle meat for the local diet. Releasing a few turtles on occasion is for public relations only. To confuse this facility with a scientific turtle breed and release program is calling an apple an orange.
There are mass slaughter house chicken facilities in the US that are very similar to the turtle farm.
Change the name from the turtle farm to the turtle abattoir (slaughter house) and the problem is solved.
"Change the local culture because of a failure to understand Cayman" this phrase jalone ust made my day. Every live creature on this planet has to share a burden of human existence.
At least there is not much to change.
This is a cheaper shot than is typical of you, Pit Bull. Rather trollish, in fact.
Pit Bull yawns.
Turtle meat lovers! You are not eating turtle meat, even though it might look like one. Meat of the turtles fed with fish pellets, who have regularly veterinary services and exist in filthy tanks is a new type of artificailly created chow. I can only emagine a chemical composition of it.
Hooray, someone else has noticed the weakness in the 'farmed' argument. You may as well eat cat food out of the box, because that's all turtle meat has become, 'FISH MEAL'.
It's a flea pit and the cheap scaffolding site that is meant to resemble a water slide is a death trap waiting to happen.
Save the public's cash, remove a $10m expense from the Country and close this place.
Why is it that they think the WSPA is out to get someone or an entity. The WSPA has a vested interest in the welfare and well being of animals, regardless of species or location. This can not be too hard to understand is it?
The problem is that too many people simply do not care or want to know as to how their meaty food ends up on the table. In terms of a food source, at least the CTF can not afford to also provide turtle eggs as they need them for breeding purposes unlike they do in other countries where people just poach the eggs instead of the turtle itself.
It seems wise however to heed the advice of the WSPA and work towards a better environment and therefore outcome of healthy turtles for all intended purposes.
The recent uprise with the captive stingrays and dolphins prove that a greater number of people realize that this is not the way to go about thesematters and proper conservation is key to success for a great number of species around the world, endangered or not. The WSPA among many other organizations, is merely advocating and supporting that endeavour to make that happen.
Be under no illusions, the slaughter of wild, pregnant and aged turtles continues on our beaches on a regular basis. Local criminals wait for the laying females to beach and then set about them with cleavers to kill and butcher them alive, the eggs are also stolen and sold for profit. Just like they used to do in the 'good old days'.
And this, we are constantly told, is culture. Well Cayman, it sounds like third world barbarism to me and Turtle Farm is just another extension of it.
Rape, murder, pillaging, head hunting, cannibalism, slavery, child and marital abuse, animal cruelty, whaling, seal clubbing, over fishing, the world has seen it all, but some country's grow up and move on from the 'cultural' behaviour of their forefathers. Cayman, your time has come, grow up and join the real world.
OMG you socalled 1st world contributors no nothing of the rest of the world. The whole of asia eat dogs,monkeys rare birds endangered species. Africa eat bush meat sell it to anyone who buy it . Its cheap to buy . Let me say it again "cheap". Poor people eat whatever is available. If its free they eat more of it.
There is countries all around us that eat lobster,conch, whelk, grouper or sea turtle. You think you are in the majority keep dreaming . Its called delusions of grandeur , You all got it bad. We have an iguana because its blue ,its called an endangered species. If we didnt have so much fish lobster and turtle it would have been extinct. Do you really think any of you could stop that.
In Jamaica just the other day a truck took a sharp turn and killed some people in the truck it landed in the water. It had some meat it was carrying from a farm to sell to some store. Somebody in the neighborhood who could dive got some meat for himself and created a small business until most of the meat was all sold . The gov't of jamaica warned that the meat was bad as someone had got sick from it . Which caused the people to line up and press the diver to hurry to get more.
You all don't have an ounce of experience or sense of the real world. Poverty creates endangered or extinct creatures. You think that 2000 people who dont have a job or who are losing their houses and cant pay their elect,water TV really don't want a job that pays according to the cost of living is bad ? Wait till that stops for ANY reason. They will eat any dog, chicken , parrot or anything else available.
You all have obviously missed a really good show . Look for it maybe its at Blockbuster or Youtube "The lord of the flies" . Don't worry about the turtle farm,worry about yourself.
Absolute garbage from start to finish. You're not eating turtle because you're poor, the complete opposite is true, Turtle meat is outrageously expensive at CI$21,000 each to breed, grow and butcher. It's value per pound exceeds all other meats available.
If you are poor, its probably due to a lack of education and aspiration, so do something about it and stop whining.
As for other countries, well its true that some eat a varied diet, but you have only highlighted the obvious, they are third world countries who don't have access to supermarkets and ethically farmed produce. The others mentioned are obviously able to eat more paletable food, but its sustainable and responsibly managed to ensure future supply, a fact you'd do well to remember before there aren't any habitats for sustainable growth or marine creatures left to eat.
Cayman isn't Jamaica, no where near it. The levels of poverty in that country far exceed anything that you seem to identify with here. But that's the problem, you're too busy moaning and living in a mythical past to actually move forward. I can assure you that I have seen most of the world during a career that spanned 30 years and trust me you're world view is as naive as it is wrong.
Oh yes, as a taxpaying member of Cayman society, I do have the right to worry about my hard earned money being spent by deluded gangsters who are hell bent on destroying this once beautiful island. Subsidised company's are failing this country and her people and it is right for those who actually pay in to society to say when things are wrong. And they are very wrong right now.
This report shows what a squalied disgusting place the Turtle Farm is. I will be contacting the WSPA to inform them that the most effective lobbying will be via the cruise ship companies. If the cruise ships, or at least a notable number, stop sending people to this horrible horrible place it will speed up its closure. I will also send some links to old CNS stories which show the real reason for this concentration camp for endangered species is a local nationalist desire to eat turtle and the political gains from offering it for sale at subsidised prices. The comments on this thread show how the "right" to eat these poor animals is the real reason the place is still open today.
Thanks Patricia X. Please also ask them to close the chicken, pig, lamb and cattle slaughterhouses in the UK and also ask them to stop the UK from exporting sheep and lambs to Europe under ghastly cramped conditions for slaughtering in Europe. As a UK citizen, I am ashamed of these practices. I trust you are too.
I am not sure that there are many cruise ship visits propping up European farmsites or abattoirs which are posing as educational tourist attractions.
"Abattoir", Mon 6:26, such a nice gentle clinical sounding French word, much in use now since it lacks the directness of the Anglo-Saxon "slaughterhouse".
Whodatis, methinks 'tis you 🙂
Now you know there are strict rules in the UK about transportation of livestock. Funnily enough, and it is mentioned regularly, the train companies frequently allow UK commuters less space on their trains at peak times, than sheep and pigs get when transported in trucks. And that IS a fact.
Whodatis doesn't 'hide', my friend.
You seem a bit obsessed though … get in line – many more before you!
Of course you hide, print your real name and reveal your true ID if you dare.
Yes – out of the hundreds of regular posters to CNS, I should definitely reveal myself.
Btw, sarcasm is not really your BFF, huh? Even with provided alarm bells by way of quotation marks … (sigh).
In any event, I take some pride in the fact of being consistent and constantly "logged in", instead of fradulently posting under a regular alias only to switch back to "anonymous" in order to submit some of the most despicable, prejudiced and vile comments imaginable – as is the practice for many users of this website.
How do you know others are signing back in as "anonymous"? Just curious.
Two wrongs don't make a right. So what's you're argument?
8:52, I thanked Patricia X for her upcoming efforts with WSPA in regards to the cruelty involved at the Turtle Farm and asked her to also direct their attention to other terrible cruelties to animals in the name of providing food for human consumption. I mentioned the UK because it is pretty clear she is from there but of course the issue is a much broader one. Try, for only one example, visiting a cattle feed lot in the US or Canada where the cattle are encouraged to gorge on grain until their livers in effect give up and then they are ready for the slaaughterhouse. You are right: two wrongs don't make a right. But we should broaden the issues beyond the Turtle Farm. It is not simply a matter of the endangered nature of turtles, or the unseemliness of the Farm as a tourist attraction or the "cuteness" of turtles or feeling superior to Caymanians because they like to eat turtles as part of their culture which many posters like to mock. It is the vile stuff humans do to animals for whatever reason we should all reflect on.
Do you honestly think that the cruise ship mafia could give a rat's hairy little bottom about the well-being of the creatures housed at the turtle farm? They could not care less.
The saddest thing of all is that she most likely does think so.
The cruise lines will not want to be the target of animal activist campaigns. When that sort of campaign gets momentum it can make a difference. Oh Whodatis, I love when you argue with me. You are my little online bit of rough.
Catching and eating turtle is an important part of our heritage. Farming turtle is not. In any case, times change and attitudes change with them. Bair baiting and watching people being hanged in public was an important part of the UK's "culture" many many years ago. But people grew sickened by them and they have gone now. Bullfighting has been part of Spain's culture for many years. It is now on its way out (maybe already gone) as it is deemed cruel to the bulls and degrading to humans "enjoying" it.
A bair bear be baited by boys boisterously bantering behind blatant blobs of blasphemous blabber…
Thanks, 19:59, for your helpful contribution to this topic.
What more needs to be said-300 turtles dead; 7 sharks dead? By the way, what form of punishment (justice) was handed down for the individual/s responsible for the carnage his laziness produced? I'd sure never hire anyone w/that stigma-sounds like Northward should be his permanenthome.
The Turtle Farm should never ever have morphed into a half a$$ water park. So much funding is spent on maintaining a pathetic aviary, a pool that you have to pay to swim in when most people already have a pool available that they can swim in for free, that the turtles needs are neglected and they are overcrowded, and their tanks are filthy an stink no matter what time of day you go there. The bottom line is the tour guide is the most knowlegeable and experienced person working at the farm. No one else has any qualifications, education or experience to run the facility properly but thats the way it goes in Cayman…..you can get into the highest positions not by what you know but who you know. The whole bunch should have been fired when 300 turtles died recently and the surviving tutles should have all been set free…..far from here. Government needs to stop defending the facitlity and either bring in qualified persons to make it worthwhile and productive or shut it down instead of keeping it just to give the manager and a few other numpties a job. It is a sad an deplorable place for visitors even if admission was free.
I was there before the water park and the conditions were the same.
When a Tourist attraction requires $10 MILLION a year in subsidy to keep it’s doors open, and has done for some years, then it is time to let the doors close. If the Turtle Farm was conducting important advanced scientific research into Mariculture in general, and Green Turtles in particular, and an international foundation was prepared to cough up the necessary cash, that would be fine and it could operate as a Tourist attraction as a sideline – but WE cannot afford that luxury. If it could generate material revenue from the sale of ALL turtle products, it MIGHT be viable – but it can’t, and never will be able to do so. CITES closed that door permanently, many years ago. How many tourists planning a trip to Cayman have “Turtle Farm” in the top three items on their “bucket list” of things to do. For a long time it has been an unaffordable White Elephant. If Government is prepared to pay $10 MILLION to keep it open in the hope that it will attract tourists, it might be just as effective to give each arriving tourist a $10 drink voucher – much easier just to close it down.
I don't know why they built "the new turtle farm" . The way it was before worked well for everyone! Tourist visited by the thousands every week. Taxi and Tour operators were able to sell the Turtle Farm in their tours. Now it is over priced and being run by people that have no clue, people who don't know the first thing about the farm or tourism. It is a shame Mr. Ken and Mr. Joe had to go. They cared about the farm. Those turtle won't have died if Mr Joe was there.
Most of these comments have me convinced that there is a Tea Party chapter based in the Cayman Islands.
Seriously, some of you folks really ought to examine your warped and biased feelings towards people different to whatever you clearly believe is your "superior" group.
Not only are you guys uttering completely illogical and incoherent sentiments, but you are letting the world know that your words should be greatly discounted due to the "hatred factor".
(E.g. Nazis, uncivilised, "your (Caymanian) culture", barbaric … really?)
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but please do us a favor and do not reproduce. The rest of us out here are patiently waiting out the gradual extinction of people plagued with such blinding, prejudiced attitudes.
*If you are offended then yep – it is definitely you I am referring to.
** By the way … how is that dead mammal currently rotting in your intestines doing? Tell him Whodatis said "hello" when you see him again tomorrow … and you will see him again tomorrow.
🙂
Now, now. You were being so nice to everyone for a while back there. But you could not keep up the "new cuddly Whodatis" image could you? It is not illogical to consider the eating of endangered species protected by international treaty as barbaric or uncivilised. Perhaps you have a cultural reason to justify such behaviour, but you will find that you are in a tiny majoirty of the educated world when it comes to that point of view. I know you were trying to offend, but really you rarely offend. I and several of my friends find you so entertaining in the "does anyone really belief this stuff" sense of entertaining. So please do spout forth some more of your "I took politics as a minor and watched a film about Che Guevara once" opinions of what is wrong with the world. We all need a laugh now and then.
I for one am offended by your sick rant, and no that doesn’t qualify me as the type you describe, just as a reasonably minded member of the human race .
Am I alone in being unable to understand a word Whodatis writes? I have a feeling he/she is starting to believe he/she is some kind of celebrity, whose words of wisdom, on every topic of the day, we mere mortals are desperate to read
Get real, Whodatis. Write plain English if you can, or don’t write at all.
the usual whadatis nonsense…two wrongs make a right……..zzzzzzzzzzz
try to address the issues at hand….
Eating turtle is barbaric. Like wife-beating, it might be well-established locally, but that don't make it right.
It is no more barbaric than eating any other meat. It is ridiculous to compare eating meat to beating your wife.
So eating panda, black rhinoceros or the last dodo is fine by you?
Depends. Do they make a good stew?
Do they mean and independent audit to tell "their" side of the story?
Oh wait ,thats right lets close down the turtle farm because it costs too much. Its just an overly priced science/farm project. Lets go ahead 20-50-100 years for an example.
Lets pretend the sea rises. Lets pretend the population has doubled. Oops dry land getting scarce the environmentalists have won they stopped development in wetlands all over the world.
First thing that anybody living in the new world will notice is that the usual farms have all bunched up all the cows,chickens,turkeys etc,etc because less space. Remember one cow needs 3 acres of space only because today thats the amount of grass it eats. In the new world only God knows what cows will eat when there is less land. Hey will you be rich or poor ? It won't matter the price of beef and chicken will shoot up because of supply and demand.
Hey maybe them caymanians were on to something. Maybe eating them turtles wasn't all bad eh? 1lb of turtle steak has 4 times the protein of beef steak. You better put that to memory for the future of your kids and grand kids. It also has no cololesterol. Starting to sound like healthier meat to eat to me.
By the way what really is the benefit of eating beef? Lets see heart problems cardio-vascular desease, obeseity, kidney failure ,diabetes etc etc.
Sounds like somebody elses history and culture is downright stupid, barbaric and very unhealthy.
Cows produce 20 times more waste then turtles. I have only had a handful of people not like the turtle farm . When its presented properly people will try the turtle soup which runs out everyday. They have all declared "IT TASTES GOOD.
I have read that the leatherback turtles are no longer an endangered species . That their numbers are back to the way they were in trinidad and tobago so thats good news.
You do know that one cow only has one calf per year right? For some reason the WSPA won't touch that subject, now will they? Rightfully so cows are an endangered species . They only live on farms except India.
Turtles on the other hand produce more offspring then they do in the wild. So its a win win solution.
Our problem is the ability of selling turtle shell to the tourist if it was legal. We should have not signed the G20 treaties without getting something back in return. We should have been able to sell shell and oil. Then we would not be in this mess. The turtle farm can be self-sustaining. We would have been able to make our own suntan oil,skin medicine,soaps, perfume so many more things. But alas because we want to save the evironment and at the same time we want to get products and medicines from the environment . It just depends what country you come from and the power that country has to achieve that goal.
I agree. Turtle farming can be a good thing.
Therefore, in Cayman, let us hire people who know how to maintain pumps (i.e. can read) and are willing to actually do proper scheduled maintenance. We should also expand the footprint of the farm so that the turtles are housed properly in clean water and are fed good quality food.
The problem with the turtle farm is not the concept. The problem lies with the execution which is rife with corruption and incompetance.
Exactly, instead of asking why is 10 million be wasted, it should be WHO is wasting the money…but that would entail certain people for taking responsibility for thier failure and stepping aside to allow more competent management…not a hallmark of this cutlure.
Instead, if the farm has its funding cut and the employees lose thier jobs, you can bet the same people will be placed in charge of another good-will government project and find a way to yet again squander the funding and line thier pockets. Why, because they dont care and can rationalize thier behviour as "forward thinking"
What a load of piffle.
Just because you read something somewhere does not make it true. Your comment that Leatherbacks are no longer endangered is commically untrue, as the IUCN reports: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6494/0
The WSPA's report is based on extensive scientific evidence and fieldwork, as can be seen in the attached files, whereas there is no evidence to the contrary provided in the CTF and government's retorts.
You mention the effects of eating beef…if you actually took time to read the list of bacrtial and viral ailments that are effecting the turtles at the CTF you may not be so quick to claim eating farmed turtle meat is better for you.
yep…. cayman is right and everybody else is wrong…………………………zzzzzzzzzz
No, they just do not understand our heritage and culture.
From an educated Caymanian: A culture to be ashamed of…and time to stop. The turtles were over-fished and the reason Caymanians became such great catboat seamen was to go father afield to fish. When that went, the birds were wiped our for the guana industry, then the sharks, then the sponges. I dare you to actually go to the National Trust or National Museum or read a Cayman history book. If you see the FACTS, you will realize that the Caymanian past had no respect for replenishing nature, but only to take until it was gone.
Our politicians fear educating the people. An educated population won't stand for being fed such nonsense. Feed your own future and hunger for the truth. Open your eyes and realize that our blue sea is loving and forgiving, but we as a people have not treated it well. We have fed from it and disrespected it.
Hey now. Turtle and fishing was the only industry besides building boats.
Cayman was not alone in exploiting our environment. Every developed nation has done so at some point in time. I take no shame in what my forefathers did because they did what they had to to feed and support thier families. They had no other means unlike us today.
The only thing that keeps us from going back to the sea is because wehave easy access to imported food and its relatively cheap. If SHTF, alot of vegans and animal rights types would starve to death or eat meat. Simple as that.
Because dummy, cows don't cost CI$21,000 each to rear for a few hundred dollars return and their farms don't cost taxpayers CI$830,000 a month to run. That's basic business sense, although that appears to also count for nothing in Cayman either. The Caymanian sense of entitlement has already got you into a financial hole, try adopting some common sense and humanity and rid yourselves of this disgusting rock around your neck.
Personally, I don't give a damn what you eat, as long as it's legal, farmed ethically and unsubsidised by everyone else.
Cayman needs to catch up with the civilised world and stop this culture of wholesale cruelty to all animals. The DOE need bigger teeth to intervene in such matters and prosecute those found to be at fault.
Its no longer about 'understanding Cayman', its now about Cayman understanding how a 1st world nation should behave in the 21st Century and its responsibilities to the wildlife and environment around it.
The cows, pigs and chickens are not costing Cayman or anyone else a $10,000,000 a year subsidy, and they are not endangered. They also taste better.
What more evidence do we need that the Cayman Islands Government's love affair with the SOE (state owned enterprise) concept is a dismal and utter failure?
The taxpayers should not have to bear the burden of this expensive white elephant for one day longer and the politicians and civil servants behind this mess should be held accountable.
Enough is enough.
JUST REMEMBER
Just remember who is in charge of our culture and health, can we expect any better? Are any of these people qualified to do the job they responsible for?
You could pay 1,000 people CI$10,000 per year, for the money the farm loses each year. It's like Pedro St James, where the justification for the investment was allegedly short term gains for the few manipulators. Now we are all paying, year-in, year-out. Sickening.
Went to the tuttle farm last year and I was impressed at how clean and well kept up everything was. It was a great learning experience for my family. Did something suddenly change? We found it to be one of the best experiences on your great island.
You live in a fly-over state don’t you?
Sell it !
I’ll buy the Turtle Farm…nice and cheap… ; )
At $25 a pound you might just need a little help from Mac and Mr. Dart.
I visited the new turtle farm just once and it was plainly obvious of the overcrowding and terrible conditions, but as long as MAC like free turtle stew it wont change.
15;48
You would have to bring Mac into this wouldnt you?
It is under his ministry…
Why not? Isn't it one of his greatest achievements? $40 million dollars borrowed to build it. $10 million dollars a year to mismanage it. I guess we should all be thankful that we are allowed the privilege of paying for it with our taxes.
of course..it's his pet project….. which sums up his failures perfectly…..
Enjoy your new appliances
Mac SHOULD be brought into it. It was his dream to make it a huge water park. If it had been kept as a small breeding facility we wouldn't be subsidising it to the tune of ten million dollars a year.
I am happy to pay a small subsidy to keep the tradition of turtle meat being available and to show off our Caymanian connection to the turtle. Most people loved to visit the old farm. The problems started with the shark tanks and snorkelling on a fake reef and then the other pool, the slide etc….. We can not afford to subsidise this. It needs to be scaled down and the capital cost written off but no one has the guts to do it.
No doubt they’ll be dumping the deformed turtles in the bin and saying ” what congenital defects?”
Just close the horrible place. It’s only there to siphon money to cronies.
Has everyone forgot the hundreds of turtles that died a few months ago because of a cracked pipe? Shut the place down. It's not worth the money it costs to run.
World news – Breaking news – Headline news……..the negative impact to the Cayman Islands
are great.
The consequence of poor managment of the Turtle Farm will cost our people to sink further
in financial despair.
We should jail those responsible, both govt members/leaders and past management of the
Turtle Farm.
boycott this place until it closes…… caymanian treatment of animals is horrifying
i can only describe my only visit to the turtle farm as disturbing and grotesque
About time they were exposed. I visited only two times. It was disgusting. Stinking tanks obviously over crowded. Run by people who think because they live on an island they know turtles. Typical. They should be fined to the maximum and let all the turtles go instead of using them to attract money to pay for other short comings in govt etc. Disgrace.
the latest story to make a mockery of the caymankind mantra…….
i hope all these posters complaining about growing creatures to eat realize that it’s the same for all farm animals . so if they enjoy fillet mignon, pork tenderloin all these fancy names comes from the same type of treatment . at least the turtles are not fed growth hormones .look at all the obese people around that is part of the great work of the USDA on mass production farms . these people bashing the turtle farm need to look in their own back yard.
The obesity epidemic in the USA is due to poor nutrition and poor choices of food. The Western lifestyle of 24 hour food, carbohydrate overload all you can eat menus etc is the main cause of of obesity. I am uncertain of the effects of hormone injected foods, and I feel they may not be the healthiest choices either, but I very much doubt is makes you obese. Having toured much of the USA, I cannot recall seeing any overcrowded fields of cows or pigs.
Quote: "The obesity epidemic in the USA is due to poor nutrition and poor choices of food."
Yes, that is correct……… just like it is here with us! Is there any country with a larger percentage of fatties than us?
Farm animals are not protected by CITES treaties. Turtles are.
I was intending to completely ignore this issue as I am no "turtle specialist", but after reading the text and photo captions in the supplied link – I have no choice but to be skeptical about this entire report / campaign.
It appears as if the individuals behind this campaign are no "turtle specialists" either – or any other kind of specialists for that matter.
Honestly, what is their target audience? Emotional school-kids? (Go and have a look for yourselves.)
Furthermore, there is also the suggestion that Cayman is made up of a "cruel" bunch of people with a taste for tortured and insanitary food sources – turtle meat.
Sorry, but as we say roun' these here parts … "Dey ga hav cum betta dan dat'!"
In all seriousness, subsequent to examining their little campaign I cannot help but feel as if I have been "propaganda'd".
As we say round our parts, WIND YOUR NECK IN TURTLE BOY!!!
Sorry, I have absolutely no idea what the heck that means … nor do I care to know.
This is Cayman – when I lived elsewhere I didn't run around spewing Caymanisms within the host country.
Better luck next time though.
Two distinct records have been broken today.
Firstly, I have read all the way to the end of one of 'Whodatis' posts.
Secondly, during the entire post, no mention of the United Kingdom or any other anti colonialist slant appears anywhere.
I am wondering if the name has been hijacked by someone else?
The existence of the stalker of an anonymous internet persona, such as yourself, must be quite a sad and lonely one.
Say what you want Whodatis and throw in a quaint "local saying" BUT it's disgusting it stinks they are overcrowded and I feel for those creatures.
Seeing most Caymanians treatment of dogs and cats there would appear to be able evidence of "Cayman is made up of a "cruel" bunch of people with a taste for tortured"
As for who to believe, after years of listening to the proven lies and cover ups by the government, I absolutely believe the WSPA report over this government
How dare you. You cannot speak with any authority about "most Caymanians" treatment of anything.
How can the truth be propaganda? I was at the turtle farm only once, and that was too much for me! I felt so sorry for the turtles trying to exist under such horrible conditions. I do NOT recommend it to ANYONE!
P.S. I'm not a turtle specialist either, but I know right from wrong.
I have just read the official statement. It is sad when eating these creatures is considered of cultural importance. It is a barbaric practice.
I know that they can guarantee great Telephone service!
Don't put a Telecommunications expert as manager of an animal facility!
There are alot of qualified people who could have rightfully got this job, but I suppose their brother is not a Cabinet Minister!
anon 1328, So should we stop eating fish, chicken and anything living?
Afterall eating any living thing is a barbaric practise.
But these turtles are endangered, so there is a difference to farm animals. Why should we be allowed to eat an endangered animal? I agree the farm needs to change.
Because we have farm raised them for the purpose. We are affecting the wild stocks of turtle.
Farm animals are not protected by CITES treaties. Turtles are.
It is a disgrace to grow these creatures for food.
it is a disgrace to grow, cows, pigs, chickens, lobsters, shrimp, turkeys, ducks, goats, fish for food
Farm animals are not protected by CITES treaties. Turtles are.
Our turtles are farm animals.
Wow really…….so what do you eat?
I tend not to eat endangered species. Also I avoid eating meat reared in a cruel and inhumane way. Turtle meat is off my shopping list on both counts.
A blind man can see that the turtle farm isn't working. Overcrowding is not a new problem. Many people have condemned it and complained about it. If they don't want a review and want to make things better why bother asking for it? Believe me, no matter who does the review, unless they are paid to say otherwise, will find the same findings as this group. So save the Cayman government the money and just make the changes.
I agree. The humane and responsible response to this criticism would be to acknowledge the problems and begin solving them. Calling for an independent review just makes us look childish.
Is there such a thing as an independant review in the Caymans?
I LOVE turtle stew but stopped eating it long ago as I think it is time to move on from this sort of intensive dirty water cruel farming. As a taxpayer I also resent the huge amount of money spent on this out of date type of "tourist attraction" and source of meat that admittedly has a place in our history but which is hard to justify on any grounds whatever except spurious "cultaral" grounds.
The first step required to rectify a problem is to admit that there is a problem.
The fundamental problem with the turtle farm is that it is Cayman's highly visible monument to incompetance and corruption.
I will trust the WSPA before I trust the politicians who like to buy votes with highly paid phoney-baloney jobs.
Wow – a damning non-government report is made public!
Now, just imagine if all the other INTERNAL government reviews and honest reports were released to the public (eg the Public Sector Reviews: which were actually closed down last year after Phase 2's Review condemned the Education Services — but that report will Never see the light of day!)
I seriously hope that this is one time in our history that we stand up and support something that is truly a part of our culture and history – this is the time to be nationalist
What a pathetic nation Cayman must be if eating turtle is that important in terms of culture and history.
spot on….. what sort of people describes their culture as eating an endangered species?
answer: caymankind
"…truly a part of our culture and history…"
Yes, turtling is a part of the past culture and history.
Subsidizing a grossly inefficient, cruel, and wasteful operation that costs $833,333.00 CI per month is a big part of the present culture. Incompetance and corruption are history in the making. I am not proud of this.
Turtle farming is not part of your history. Turtle catching and eating is the hisdtory. Your prioblem is that the whole civilized world has banned your historical practice.
Seriously??? Well I suppose cruelty and ignorance of animal welfare, (wild and domestic) is a nationwide issue. Just look around at the amount of poorly treated dogs and cats that roam the streets or that are chained up in yards in the hot sun. Take a stroll down to the Humane Society or talk to volunteers from CARE, why are they needed?
Note the turtle poaching that still happens on an all too regular basis, with pregnant females butchered alive on the beaches and their eggs stolen for profit. What about the lobsters, conch and whelk that are mercilessly stolen for personal financial gain and not for personal consumption?
And lets not forget the dolphin in North Sound, you know, the one that local 'fishermen' want to kill because its a danger. Well, it's only a danger if you're in the water with it and when was the last time you saw a fisherman that could swim, let alone swim with wildlife. Or, how about those in captivity in West Bay, (dolphins, not fisherman)?
Seriously, if that's national pride, what a sad place to be and what a sad indictment of your view of nationalism.
All the fishermen I know can swim.
History, Culture, Misunderstandings by outsiders!!!
Isn't that what the Nazis said?