Further to our October 12 story “Cayman Turtle Farm fights back against WSPA’s Stop Sea Turtle Farming”  (see www.ieyenews.com/2012/10/cayman-turtle-farm-fights-back-against-wspas-stop-sea-turtle-farming/) the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has responded with the following article.  We also publish a separate response from the Cayman Islands Government titled “Cayman Government replies to WSPA claims of health risks to turtles at farm”.  Further, see WSPA’s Letter to the Editor also in response to our article and our Editorial published yesterday (15).

Has the Cayman Turtle Farm’s outdated practices and business model caused its crippling debts?

By WSPA

New information revealed as part of an investigation conducted by Global Animal Welfare leader, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) into the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF) shows disturbing evidence of animal cruelty and conservation failures, amid fresh revelations of massive debts at the government-funded facility.

Currently housing 7,000 endangered sea turtles¹ in appalling inadequate conditions, CTF claims it does so in order to satisfy local demand for turtle meat and to drive conservation. Although the farm says it has released 31,000² turtles since it opened in the late 60’s, currently only 11³ of 200 turtles currently nesting on Cayman beaches have CTF tags.

WSPA’s evidence shows that as well as being inherently cruel, the farm’s commercial sea turtle farming operation is also a poor and outdated business model, in terms of profit and both its animal husbandry and conservation practices.

The heavily indebted farm has been making an average loss of well over nine million Cayman dollars a year over the past five years³, only surviving so far thanks to extensive government subsidies.

WSPA Wildlife Campaign Leader Dr. Neil D’Cruze said: “It’s clear from looking at the Cayman Turtle Farm’s books that it has never been an economic asset to the island and is better described as a taxpayer burden. We haven’t seen any farm practices that can justify keeping thousands of endangered animals in cramped and filthy conditions.”

Figures obtained by WSPA under the Freedom of Information (FOI) act also show that the Cayman Turtle Farm has released on average just 27 Green sea turtles per year³ over the past five years, while accruing an average yearly spend of CI$14,894,020³ over the same time period.

Additionally, demand for turtle meat on the island has plummeted by half in the last five years³ and is almost non-existent among those tourists visiting the island³.

Dr. D’Cruze said: “You could argue that, over the past five years, every year, the cost of producing a turtle for meat cost the Caymanian tax payer around CI$11,944. Clearly, the farm is haemorrhaging money year on year. The CTF currently has a dubious conservation impact and their input into addressing the actual causes of sea turtle decline is unclear. For the amount of money spent by the farm, there should be better results.”

WSPA’s video footage and photographs from the farm show thousands of sea turtles being kept in dirty, crammed touch tanks in the public tourist areas of the farm.

These naturally wide ranging animals are solitary creatures, but life in the CTF is a world away from how sea turtles live in the wild. Swimming in water filled with their own waste, the turtles fight for food – biting each other and even resorting to cannibalism due to the extreme stress of such close captivity. ⁴ WSPA investigators even witnessed turtles with missing flippers, chewed off by tank-mates.

The worst suffering and health problems faced by the turtles are away from tourist eyes in the restricted access production area, where turtles suffering [1]from disease and birth defects are reared for meat.

The foul conditions are not only affecting the resident turtles – humans could also be at risk.

As part of its attraction the farm encourages visitors to touch and pick up the sea turtles. WSPA tested and found traces of Salmonella, E. Coli and Vibrio vulnificus* in the turtle touch tank waters – meaning that visitors who touch the turtles are at risk of contracting diseases ranging from gastroenteritis to pneumonia and cholera.⁴

According to a 2012 poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner⁵, 69% of North American cruise ship passengers polled who visited the Cayman Turtle Farm in 2009 were unaware of these health risks.

The FOI request also shows that the number of Green sea turtles released by the Cayman Turtle Farm is falling. It is unclear how many turtles returning to the Caymanian waters the farm can directly take credit for and releasing diseased turtles could be a ticking time bomb for wild turtle populations, as many turtles on the farm suffer diseases not seen in natural environments.

WSPA believes that there are other more animal friendly and sustainable options available to protect Green sea turtles and is calling on the Cayman Turtle Farm to permanently end sea turtle farming.

The animal welfare charity presented its findings to the farm’s management team earlier this year, proposing a plan for the farm to transition its business to a sea turtle rehabilitation and research center, which could increase tourism footfall and turnover.

The world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group, the Sea Turtle Conservancy said: “Our longstanding knowledge of conditions at the Cayman Island Turtle Farm, combined with recent evidence provided by WSPA, raises significant concerns and uncertainty surrounding the welfare of the turtles and the farms efforts to conserve wild populations. Without clear proof that the farm’s conservation activities benefit wild turtle populations, CTF is sending out a dangerously misleading message. We strongly urge them to work with WSPA to resolve these concerns.”

The Cayman Turtle Farm has so far failed to respond to WSPA’s suggestions and offers of assistance to address the economic, conservation and welfare issues which it has identified.

Dr. D’Cruze added: “We know it’s possible to deliver good animal welfare and good conservation, serve as an ethical tourist attraction, without wasting tax payers’ money – just look at how well the Blue Iguana Project is running. ⁶

“We want to help the farm change for the better, 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.”

Appendix:

1. Source: http://www.turtle.ky/faq
2. Source: http://www.turtle.ky/research-conservation
3. Source: Freedom of Information request, submitted by Rt Hon Greg Knight MP, received 20/08/12
4. Source: Dr Neil D’Cruze, 2012, The Cayman Turtle Farm, a case for change. London: World Society for the Protection of Animals (available on request)
5. Source: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Cayman Turtle Farm visitor poll, August 2012. Participants were asked “Prior to your visit to the Cayman Turtle Farm, were you made aware of any potential health risks (e.g. Salmonella, E. Colietc.) associated with touching the turtles and/or their tanks?”
   1. More info about the poll:

• Aim – to determine if cruise line tourists who had visited the CTF were aware of the animal welfare concerns and health risks associated with the farm.
• Conducted – August 22nd – 31st, 2012
• Sample size / demographic – 400 cruise line tourists who have visited the Cayman Turtle Farm in the last 3 years

1. Source: http://www.blueiguana.ky/

* Explanation of these pathogens and the diseases they can cause:

• Salmonella: one of the most common foodborne diseases, millions of cases are reported each year, with thousands of reported deaths. Diseases caused can range from gastroenteritis to typhoid fever. Most at risk are the very young and the elderly.
• E. Coli: while found in the gut of people and animals, E. Coli bacteria is also a common cause of food poisoning and gastroenteritis. Severity of illness depends on the strain of bacteria, but young children, the elderly and people with a vulnerable immune system are most at risk.
• Vibrio vulnificus: immunosuppressed people are considered most at risk, but it can affect anyone and is potentially fatal. Most disease-causing strains cause gastroenteritis, some result in cholera and it can also infect open wounds and cause septicaemia.
  • More information, plus cited research can be found on P.15 in the WSPA-published document The Cayman Turtle Farm, a case for change.

About WSPA’s campaign www.stopseaturtlefarm.org

Website live from embargo date of October 15^th 2012

1. British/Caymanian world champion free diver, Tanya Streeter is also backing WSPA’s campaign. She said: “The Cayman Turtle Farm has definitely strayed too far away from its original goal of protecting green turtles. It makes me sad to see how much the turtles panic when they are picked up. The only time they react like this in the wild is when they are under attack or being poached by humans.”
   

About WSPA (www.wspa.org.uk)

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is one of the world’s leading animal welfare organizations. We have been protecting animals around the world more than 30 years. We passionately believe that animal welfare matters. At WSPA, we will always expose and oppose the exploitation and suffering of animals. We believe animal cruelty must end, whether an animal is living in the wild, on a farm, in our community or affected by a disaster. Today, WSPA works in more than 50 countries, collaborating with local communities, NGOs and governments that can help us change animals’ lives for the better. We also act at a global level, using our United Nations consultative status to give animals a voice.

Please also see “The Cayman Turtle Farm – A Case for change” at

http://issuu.com/inewscayman/docs/the_cayman_turtle_farm-_a_case_for_change?mode=window&viewMode=singlePage&backgroundColor=%23222222

All photographs shown with the above article are taken from the foregoing pdf document