September 19, 2014 – World Animal Protection issued a statement today outlining its fears that its ongoing discussions with the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) about the controversial Cayman Turtle Farm have broken down. World Animal Protection’s concerns follow encouraging talks with the CIG held in July this year, to which the animal welfare organization is still yet to receive a formal response nearly two months later.

Discussions with the current Government were first spearheaded by World Animal Protection’s CEO Mike Baker over a year ago. These encouraging early discussions highlighted key areas of mutual concern over animal welfare conditions related to the Farm, such as overcrowding, the possible introduction of infectious diseases into the wild through the Farm’s turtle release program, and the illegal poaching of wild sea turtles.

Initially it appeared that the CIG was eager to rapidly move to address these areas of mutual concern. In November 2013, the controversial wild sea turtle release program was cancelled, and in early 2014, UK Government funding to investigate the true scale of Caymanian demand for sea turtle meat was also secured by the Caymanian Department of the Environment.

However, during this time the CIG has also failed to act to address some of the most serious animal welfare problems raised by World Animal Protection. Overcrowding, cannibalism, injuries and disease among the approximately 10,000 endangered green sea turtles at the Farm remain a significant concern.

World Animal Protection’s CEO, Mike Baker, stated:

“Despite highly positive discussion nearly two months ago, we are disappointed that the CIG has failed to provide World Animal Protection with any updated formal response on the Farm’s conditions. It is impossible to see how progress can be made without communication and participation from both sides.

After more than a year of patient engagement and talks behind closed doors, it is now time for the CIG to act. The root causes of acute animal suffering at the Farm, such as the severe overcrowding of turtles there, simply cannot be ignored any longer. World Animal Protection’s door remains open, but the CIG must want to walk through.”

World Animal Protection has long advocated for the Cayman Turtle Farm not to close but to transition into a true rehabilitation and release facility that fully protects sea turtles.

We were formerly known as WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals).

For more on World Animal Protection’s campaign on behalf of sea turtles in the Cayman Islands, visit www.stopseaturtlefarm.org

Our new name is World Animal Protection. We were known as WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals)