THERE has been a call for more emphasis to be placed on protecting the remaining undeveloped beaches for nesting turtles. It comes from director of the Barbados Sea Turtle Project Dr Julia Horrocks in light of recent losses by nesting turtles.

"The ban on sea turtle capture implemented by the Government has removed the pressure of harvest from sea turtles, but population recovery will not occur if the degradation and destruction of nesting beaches is not stopped," she said.

Horrocks said the measures which were urgently needed to fully protect the species tottering on the brink of extinction should include strict enforcement of setbacks for new buildings and enclosures, incentives to set back boundaries of older properties, use of appropriate types of sea-turtle friendly lighting and, wherever possible, the use of vegetation rather than gabions and other solid structures to combat beach erosion. 

The west coast of Barbados is "home" for dozens of nesting turtles returning faithfully to our shores from all over the Caribbean to lay their eggs. Over the past few decades, this coast has become built up with hotels, villas and restaurants, with severe negative impacts on nesting turtles and their young. The boundaries of many beachfront properties lie too close to the high-water mark, and walls and gabions have been constructed to protect them.  Nesting turtles therefore struggle to find a suitable place to lay their precious eggs on these beaches.  These walls and gabions also cause beach erosion on adjacent strips and can be lethal for nesting turtles.  For example, a few weeks ago, on Gibbes Beach, a turtle trying to find a place to lay her eggs fell about five feet off such a structure to her death on the  rocks below.

Even where wide expanses of beach occur, such as in front of hotels, problems exist for turtle nesting. These beaches, said Horrocks, are often protected by offshore breakwaters which impede the emergence of females onto the beach, and they are also lit up which deters turtles from nesting. Bright lighting attracts newly emerged hatchlings causing them to walk away from the sea, even onto roads or parking lots where they are killed by passing vehicles.  There are so few wide, unlit beaches remaining along the West Coast that turtles often resort to nesting in the mouths of drains and holes. Only here can they find a dark area to nest far enough above the waves.

"Tragically, these very same areas are washed out when the drains fill with water and break through the beach after heavy rain. Consequently, thousands of eggs are lost each year," said Horrocks.

CRUISE TOURISM in the Caribbean represents 32 per cent of the global market and while countries welcome the head taxes cruisers pay, there are concerns about negative impacts on the physical and social environment.

This matter was raised by Dr Leonard Nurse, an expert in coastal zone management, when he spoke to about 30 participants in a workshop at the Barbados Workers' Union Labour College at Mangrove, St Philip. He said a large number of people "in some islands more than the local population", descending on beaches, tourist sites and hotels, could contribute to environmental degradation and social problems. Nurse showed a listing of passenger capacity for cruise ships, averaging 2 000 and going to a maximum of 3 500. To that you add one third of the number for staff. He quoted statistics  given by a cruise company that "the typical liner generates 210 000 gallons of sewerage, one million gallons of grey (waste) water, and 25 000 gallons of oily bilge in one week." Add to that solid waste chemicals used in laundry and cleaning.

Nurse noted that in spite of the economic benefits, some countries had found it necessary to control the number of ships per day. He discussed the plight of fishermen who have had beach accesses and selling spots closed off by tourism development. In contrast, some countries showcase fish markets as tourist attractions."

THE Coconut Court Beach Hotel will become the first hotel in the region to implement new Caribbean guidelines for sustainable tourist facilities through the design of its planned 40-acre expansion.

These guidelines, included in a new, first-of-its-kind publication entitled The Caribbean Regional Manual on Environmentally Sound Tourist Facility Design And Development, were recently published by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Caribbean Office located in Kingston, Jamaica, in partnership with the Caribbean Hotel Association, CAST Division. Funding was provided by United States Agency for International Development and the technical content completed by Caribbean Infra-Tech, Inc of St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands.

This week, Coconut Court is conducting two charrettes - day-long interactive planning sessions - to begin the implementation of the UNEP guidelines. These charrettes will bring together an interdisciplinary team of ecologists, architects, engineers, and "green" design and management specialists to complete a Sustainable Master Plan for existing and planned hotel facilities. Key issues to be addressed in the charities include natural resource (terrestrial and marine) protection, restoration, and/or enhancement, historic/cultural resource protection, restoration and/or enhancement, positive economic, social linkages to the local community, site infrastructure linkages to community infrastructure and assessment of and preparedness for natural hazards.