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August 2009
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Turtles, Tourism & Trust
Responsibility for this nesting colony is the responsibility of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Department of Forestry (Wildlife Section) and the Turtle Village Trust (TVT) is one of four community-based organisations involved in this. The Minister of Tourism, Joseph Ross, spoke at an international conference, ‘Turtle Conservation, Ecotourism and Sustainable Community Development’ hosted by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies (SALISES ) at The UWI at the end of July. He told participants that the Tourism Ministry has partnered with the TVT “in positioning Trinidad and Tobago as the premier turtle tourism destination globally.” He hoped that the conference would “provide a blueprint for a sound ecotourism policy” for the nation, “where the demands of tourists can be balanced with the needs and cultural traditions of local people, the landscape and environment.” President of BHP Billiton Trinidad and Tobago, Vincent Pereira, said that as a sponsor of the conference, his company’s “close relationship” with communities like Toco, Grande Riviere, Matura and Fishing Pond, gave them a “more detailed insight into the need for protective action.” “We are aware of the many dangers that face the sea turtle population if conservation efforts are not effectively instituted,” he said. The conference was meant to help develop a network of sector interest working groups and to expand and empower them in the thrust for sustainable community development. It was also designed to bring academics and communities together to work more relevantly towards this end. Speakers focused on diverse areas such as “The Effects of Seasonal Beach Dynamics on the nests of Dermochelys Coriacea at Matura and Grande Riviere” (Alana Kezia Joseph and Paul Shaw), A Clear and Present Danger to the Caribbean: Climate Change or Climate Alarmism? (Reynold Stone), and “Neo-tropical Animals and Agro-Tourism: A Trinidad and Tobago Opportunity” (Dr Gary Garcia). Discussions also focused on Trinidad and Tobago’s draft National Tourism Policy and draft National Ecotourism Policy.
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Given the extensive range of the leatherback turtle and Trinidad and Tobago’s unique role in providing some of the most important nesting habitats for the species in the Atlantic Ocean, the fate of this endangered species is heavily influenced by management of the nesting turtles locally.