News
Connecting in the Community with Local Sea Turtle Fishermen
10/15/10
October 15, 2010—Basseterre, St. Kitts—Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, assistant professor and 2006 alumna, Kimberly Stewart, DVM, continues to make connections in the community through her work as the director of the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN). Stewart has teamed up with Theophilus Taylor, president of the Sandy Point Fishermen’s Cooperative to develop a capture and release program for fishermen, which includes an educational component. The pair worked with two members of the Georgia (USA) Sea Turtle Center, Terry Norton, DVM, Dipl. ACZM, director and Michelle Kaylor, rehabilitation coordinator, to organize the program.
After an organizational meeting, the team met at Ballast Bay on the island’s south peninsula on Saturday, October 2, to teach Taylor the appropriate method of tagging a hawksbill sea turtle and to show him how the team searches for turtles to tag. Members of the SKSTMN began the morning by listening to Taylor speak about why preserving the sea turtles is so important to the future of the island.
“As president of the Sandy Point Fishermen’s Society it is important to be a part of the sea turtle preservation project,” said Taylor. “I realize that many of us [St. Kitts/Nevis fishermen] fish for the sea turtles because it is how we keep our families going, it is our livelihood; but we have to think about how these turtles will affect the future of our island’s sea life.”
Taylor has been a sea turtle fisherman for decades and joins approximately ten other men who also continue to fish for the turtles in St. Kitts and Nevis. Many Caribbean nations (approximately 70%) have banned fishing of the sea turtles because of their classification as an endangered species. St. Kitts and Nevis does continue to allow fishing of sea turtles, but has implemented regulations, which include weight restrictions and limitations on the fishing season (October 1 through February 28). This harvest places significant pressure on St. Kitts hawksbill populations, as this is the main species captured in St. Kitts. Many locals use the turtles for food. Taylor hopes his influence on fellow fishermen will encourage them to reduce the number of sea turtles they catch and sell; or at a minimum encourage them to think twice about violating the laws and regulations of the St. Kitts Fisheries Division.
“Assisting with the tagging of the turtles is a great opportunity for me,” continued Taylor. “Dr. Stewart has taught me a lot about sea turtles and I am excited to help and do my first tagging today.”
The morning continued with the SKSTMN diving team splitting into two groups to search for a turtle to tag and demonstrate to Taylor how to tag the turtles. Within an hour, the team found its first hawksbill turtle appropriate for tagging. The turtle was brought to shore, shaded with a RUSVM logoed umbrella and the basic health evaluation and tagging was completed. The tags were placed on each front flipper, the SKSTMN team leader, Ryan Kibbee, completed the first tag, teaching the correct location and method to Taylor. Taylor completed the second flipper tag with ease, as if he had been doing it for years.
“This is an amazing day for me, I am so proud,” said Stewart. “I have been working with Mr. Taylor and other fishermen for a few years emphasizing sustainable use, alternative livelihoods, and conservation. I believe with his help we can accomplish many things with our programs.”
Taylor and Stewart began teaching in the local schools this week. Taylor chose to initiate the program in the primary school he attended as a child, Newton Ground Primary. Taylor’s focus is on teaching the children why the turtles are important to St. Kitts and encouraging them to observe turtle friendly recreational activities, to avoid damage to nesting and foraging turtles as well as incubating nests. Stewart says that she is simply along for support, as Mr. Taylor, is the true influence on the children. The duo plans to present the program, in over thirty schools, throughout the next five months.
Recognizing the importance of this harvest to the remaining fishermen who participate from both a cultural and financial standpoint, the SKSTMN, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and the St. Kitts Fisheries Department have partnered in an initiative to provide non-consumable sources of income for these individuals for participation in capture, tagging, and release. Sea turtle education programs will also be implemented. All of this work is being proposed in exchange for not killing and rendering the captured sea turtles, ensuring that these animals will be here for future generations. Additional details about the program are below.
About St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network
The St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network was founded in 2003 as a community based nonprofit focusing on the monitoring of nesting sea turtle populations, acting as an advocate for the strengthening of sea turtle protection laws. The organization has partnerships with various organizations throughout St. Kitts and the world. In 2009, the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network won the St. Kitts National Tourism Award for being the most eco-friendly business in the Federation. The mission of the SKSTMN is to implement, under the direction of the St. Kitts Fisheries Department, a long-standing sea turtle conservation management program and to promote community awareness of the plight of sea turtles. http://www.stkittsturtles.com/
About Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC)
The GSTC, located on Jekyll Island, Georgia (USA), is a hospital for ill and injured sea turtles. It is the only hospital of its kind in the state of Georgia. The GSTC is an umbrella organization of the Jekyll Island Authority. Through sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education programs, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center increases awareness of habitat and wildlife conservation challenges, promotes responsibility for ecosystem health and empowers individuals to act locally, regionally, and globally to protect the environment. Regular educational programs engage visitors about the plight of sea turtles and the marine ecosystem. The GSTC has supported the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Project by providing staff, resources, and expertise in many initiatives, including: the leatherback project, Sea Turtle Camp, rehabilitation and facility development, research projects, and most recently the satellite tagging initiative. http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/
About Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
Ross University is a provider of medical and veterinary education, offering doctor of medicine and doctor of veterinary medicine degree programs. Founded in 1982 and located in St. Kitts, the School of Veterinary Medicine is affiliated with 22 AVMA-accredited US veterinary schools where students complete their clinical year. The University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital is the only facility outside the US and Canada accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine is committed to improving the well being of people and animals in the St. Kitts and Nevis community through service, education and research.
For more information about Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, visit www.RossU.edu.
