Even though an independent review of the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF) began Monday (10), following revelations by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) of shocking farm conditions with turtles “trapped in prison like tanks, barely surviving in their own filth and fed an unnatural diet, these wild naturally solitary creatures are paraded for and handled by tourists before being slaughtered for sale as burgers and steaks,” the animal activist group has said the review is already compromised.

A four member team, which includes vets and scientists but no animal welfare experts, were at the Turtle Farm in West Bay until Wednesday (12).

The aim of the inspection is to determine whether standards of care meet those required to ensure that the operation is conducted in a “humane manner” and examine standards of husbandry.

The report is expected sometime in January.

The team includes Dr. Annette Broderick, a Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology who has worked with the Farm in the past, and Professor Brendan Godley, a marine conservation scientist and qualified vet, George Balazs, a sea turtle scientist with 40 years professional experience in Hawaii and Dr. Thierry Work, a wildlife disease expert with 20 years of professional experience in Hawaii.

The WSPA was not invited to participate in the investigation.

The WSPA said on Monday in a statement they were surprised that two of the participants in what is being billed as an “independent” review have close professional ties to the Cayman Turtle Farm. They also said there were ‘severe concerns’ that the independence of the review is already compromised and that the welfare of the sea turtles will not be at the heart of this inspection.

“We don’t believe this is either in the best interests of the farm or will provide the Caymanian people with the independent assurances they are demanding, that the Farm is managing the turtles properly,” the WSPA said. “However we genuinely hope – in the interests of the turtles – to be proven wrong in this instance and that the farm will proceed with total transparency and move to involve, if not us, another leading world-renowned global animal welfare organisation with the expertise to usefully input in to this assessment.”

According to the terms of reference, the inspectors will examine: water quality; stocking densities; treatment and prevention of disease and injury; levels and causes of mortality; levels (if any) of severe injuries; levels (if any) of congenital deformities; handling of animals by guests (including safety of both animals and guests); slaughter methods and practice; to suggest any reasonable steps by which animal husbandry and care might be improved at the farm and to comment on the contribution the CTF makes to conservation of turtle species. The inspection will be made on the ‘basis of the standards of practice that would apply to a comparable intensive livestock production’ in facilities in the UK or USA.

Professor Godley made a review in 2002 and although he said the operation is “humane” there was room for improvement that could lead to the reduction in mortality in turtles 30 months old, increasing the number of quarantine facilities, improving feeding strategies and the need to fully monitor, understand and control chronic skin conditions and Lung, Ear and Trachea (LET) disease.

The report can be found at http://issuu.com/inewscayman/docs/ctf_godley_review_2002?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222