Species have been going extinct for millions of years; it is a natural part of the evolutionary process. For example, most of the species that existed during the time of dinosaurs have perished. Many probably went extinct because of sudden geological or climatic changes - possibly because of a large volcanic eruption or because of a giant meteor hitting the earth. Today however, species are going extinct because of abrupt changes brought about by humans. Habitat destruction, pollution and overconsumption are causing species to decline at a rate never before seen in history.
This loss of species is eroding the diversity of life on earth, and a loss of diversity can make all life vulnerable. Much can be learned about the condition of the planet's environment by looking at animals such as sea turtles. They have existed for over 100 million years, and they travel throughout the world's oceans. Suddenly, however, they are struggling to survive - largely because of things people are doing to the planet's oceans and beaches. But what does this mean for the human species?
Sex change may also cause a problem. In undisturbed areas there are usually equal numbers of male and females. In heavily fished areas there are often three or more time females than males. This means that many eggs will not be fertilized during spawning. Other threats include habitat destruction, coral breakage from divers, siltation form construction, runoff from logging and agriculture, dredging sewage, oil spills and other contaminants that harm coral reefs where Nassau Grouper live.
To protect the grouper a number of measures must be taken to manage the population:
By protecting grouper in these ways, fishermen will gain and the grouper population will grow. Eventually, our fishermen will make a more reliable income at less risk to themselves taking paying customers to view these natural phenomena than they ever took out by fishing. A population that is close to its final collapse is salvageable but still numerous. There will certainly be enough fish in it for others to argue that it is not yet in danger. By the time it is obviously in trouble, the decline in numbers will be irreversible.
Queen Conch has been a staple food in the diet of Bahamians for hundreds of years as well as an important fishery resource. Conch is a food product with status as a "cultural symbol." Popular food dishes include cracked conch, conch fritters, conch chowder, conch salad and scorched conch. In the year 2000, over 250,000 pounds of conch were exported at a value of almost one million Bahamian dollars.
The harvesting and possession of conch with a shell that does not possess a well-formed lip is illegal. However, seventy-five percent of all conch shells discarded in local shell piles are under-sized. Various researchers have concluded that Queen Conch are locally depleted in The Bahamas and many officials are very concerned about the future of conch. Internationally, conch is listed in Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as "threatened" and will soon move to the "endangered" status if something isn't done to protect this important member of the marine food web.
Sea
Turtles
In nature, sea turtles face a host of life and death obstacles to their survival. Predators such as raccoons, crabs and ants raid eggs and hatchlings still in the nest. Once they emerge, hatchlings make bite-sized meals for birds, crabs and a host of predators in the ocean. After reaching adulthood, sea turtles are relatively immune to predation, except for the occasional shark attack. These natural threats, however, are not the reasons sea turtle populations have plummeted toward extinction. To understand what really threatens sea turtle survival, we must look at the actions of humans.
Thousands of sea turtles die from eating or becoming entangled in non-degradable debris each year, including packing bands, balloons, pellets, bottles, vinyl films, tar balls, and styrofoam. Trash, particularly plastic bags thrown overboard from boats or dumped near beaches and swept out to sea, is eaten by turtles and becomes a deadly meal. Leatherbacks especially, cannot distinguish between floating jellyfish - a main component of their diet - and floating plastic bags.
Pollution can have serious impacts on both sea turtles and the food they eat. When pollution kills aquatic plant and animal life, it also takes away the food sea turtles eat. Oil spills, urban runoff of chemicals, fertilizers and petroleum all contribute to water pollution.
In the Bahamas the Department of Fisheries has jurisdiction over sea turtles. Bahamian law makes it illegal to harm, harass or kill any sea turtles, hatchlings or their eggs on any beach. Though the green turtle is listed internationally as "endangered" and the loggerhead as "threatened," these turtles are allowed to be caught in the Bahamas during a closed season from April 1st to July 31st. The question we must ask is clear: if other countries recognize these species are in danger of dying out, should fishermen in the Bahamas hunt for some other type of animals until sea turtle populations recover?
The threats facing sea turtles are numerous and, for the most part, humans are the problem. There is still time for us to make a difference. Some immediate goals for protecting sea turtles include:
