Justice Department Bonaire is alert on slaughter of turtles

The below article was publised in the newspaper beside to the Reef Care Curacao press release

original article is published in Dutch by Hubert Linkers,
Antilleaans Dagblad/ page 5 , December 28, 2004

Kralendijk – In February 1999 happened a similar case with a turtle on Bonaire.

The active STCB pointed at the modified bylaw for Environment (AB 1991 no.8 ) The ordinance was clear, because everything which is involved with the live and freedom of sea turtles was forbidden. This did not include all turtles, but in the ordinance they stipulated Ceretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricate and the Lepidochelys kempi. For killing a turtle is a penance of 5000,- Antillean Guilders (1.8Ang=1 USD).

In February 1999, 4 local fishermen caught a turtle, prepared it and eat it. The turtle club filed legal charges against the fishermen. The fisherman declared to the judge that they were not aware it was illegal.The public prosecutor, Mr Van der Krabben, demanded a conditional penance.
Judge De Vroome followed this request and convicted accordingly.