Trinidad: Fire destroys turtle nests at Turtle Beach, raising urgent calls for action

Trinidad and Tobago: A nesting site for turtles is being called a 'cremation site' by Terrance Pitt, who was called to Turtle Beach, Trinidad, on Sunday due to a complaint he received about the destruction of five turtle nests.

Turtle Beach has been an active site for the endangered Leatherback Hawksbill and green turtles. The Trinidad and Tobago authorities have cited this area as being of environmental importance.

The nesting season in the island nation runs from March 1 to August 31, following which the baby turtles hatch out of these nests over a few months. This is why the authorities remain very concerned and urge locals to avoid destroying the nests.

However, a gardener who is an employee at the Starfish Hotel, reportedly lit a fire on 3 to 5 turtle nesting areas at the beachfront.

Terrence Pitts, a tour guide, arrived at the scene on Sunday and described the scenario as a commission. "It was more like a rescue effort. So the fire was, like, lighting. It was so high that even from between 25 to 30 feet away, you could actually feel the heat," he said.

Pitts shared that the gardener was told by an SOS member that he should not be burning there. However, this advice was ignored.

Each nest, according to Pitt, can carry between 80 to 120 eggs. He shared that he spoke to the president of SOS, who noted that this year's turtle season has seen the lowest survival rates among hatchlings, according to the data they received. He described this as quote alarming.

A couple weeks ago, 23 turtle nests were also destroyed on the Turtle Beach as an excavator was caught creating a man made waterway.

Residents and the SOS NGO took their concerns to the Environmental Management Authority, and according to Pitts, nothing came of it.

"They came forward with actual footage, address, and name to the EMA, but nothing came out of that," said the concerned citizen.

They're just calling on authorities to reach out, highlighting the fact that the SOS NGO has been a pillar in the community for gathering the necessary data and protecting the safety of endangered species.

While the authorities in Trinidad are urging the general public not to destroy the nesting sites, they are failing to take action against those who are doing so.