The Bahamian Archipelago, consisting of over 1,000 islands, split politically between the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Archipelago's northern and central islands rest on two large bank systems-the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank-with water depths of less than 10m. The Bahamas have a well-developed commercial and export fishery plus a recreational/local consumption fishery. The most valuable catches are lobster, conch, grouper, snapper, and jacks and even more sadly marine turtles via seasonal catch laws. For thousands of years, marine turtles have been a source of food and sustenance for coastal communities in tropical and subtropical regions. Marine turtles have been used for eggs, meat, shell, oil, leather or other products since at least 5000 BC. Today, six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles are classified as endangered or critically endangered. Human activities, noticeably overexploitation, fisheries by-catch and habitat destruction, have been identified as the main reasons for marine turtle declines. Marine turtles are highly migratory and represent an open-access resource. A key to understanding the in-water life history is to follow the turtle movements; sea turtles spend over 90% of their lives in the water (e.g. feeding, mating, migration and doing whatever else a sea turtle does when no one is watching).Many countries recognize the need to reduce marine turtle mortality from human sources and have provided partial or total legal protection for marine turtles. Clearly, there is a pressing need to identify and implement policies and actions that will reverse the trend so that these endangered species and the benefits they provide are not lost forever.
This projects focus is on the monitoring of turtles in the surrounding Eleuthera province and by the data collected, we will gradually learn where populations and major feeding grounds are located for further protection. Based on research findings, recommendations will propose reversing and maintaining the catch laws for marine turtle capture and consumption.