The Daily e" ws, .auwe 16, 2001 18


Beach picnic marred by


finding ruined turtle nests


On Memorial Day, some of my
euawl clience oad.ln ad I h a
beach picalc a Halfpenoy Bay to
the Univaiy of the Vbgin loandi
tis spieg.
Halfpenny Bay beach is on SL
Croix's Soushbore between
Manecheil Bay and Spring Bay.
tnld the d a a caibc.srioed by
pasure lad 170O grasihoo ,
sugar mills and mangrove forces
swunamps. The bey is .sunrnded by
a hbner reef system.
My class and I decided to hike
along the cot and discuss he iff-
frcet coastal vegeation. To our sur
prise we discovered SaU nests on
the wernm side of the beach dial
had been destroyed by poachers.
Halfpenny Bay beach is known for
nesr of the thee endaongeM d urtle
species: the hawksbill. lesaherback
and the green sea oules.
The Planning and Natural
Resources Department posted a
S0Ln on a ee at the beach. saying
that the depanment. "in an effort to
keep :nd m-intain the aesthetic
alure and beauty of the teritoial
beaches of the Virgin Islands. is
issuing the following rules and mg-
ulalions to camper. fher an and
beach users on the shorelines of St.
Croix.
They are as follows:
"1) No cutting and pruning of
es and benches are allowed


OW




2) No heavy equipment i.
allowed racderig of rbn .
-3) No campfire allowed on
beach sand. Campfires are to be
kept upland of vegettio line under
the ees.
"4) Port-o-por must be rented
and installed for use a rest room
facilities.
"S) All oer,. garbage must be
removed a the end of the camp or
picnic.
"6) Please keep the beaches
clean."
Believe me. I applaud the
Department of Planning and Nam-
ral Resorces for posting the sign.
But I have a problem. l t is ginrs
the aw to post signs o trees. Sec-
ondly. the sign should be made big
enough so that everyone can see
and read the sign. Thirdly, how
come a sign is not placed on the
beach to say ardes ness there? To
me. every beach in these islands
where turtles net should have a
sign instlled.
With a pla proposed to build a
hoel on die stern side of Half-


pony Ray bac te srvival of
dbe tle tat lay their emg
aie n es en mus hedemand rby the
pmle of Ths people d ii

tn a oil. it we dffled bed of
onservation work is finding ways
orpaepaald wiM se* aseslaso
iSaer i r ~ad. if poNibt boeh
boneft. Altbugh aule egg
,hdeind by eamal pedal uch
as ghost scab. development of
esachnplea pxipy pos esapolnl a
problem boease oafde minacse
human activities in the alca sn
,lighig buildings
Philiboran saed is 1976 that
"I the U.S. Virgin aeds. hms-
billn hachbintsi w amno ll to am-
dium lights durl gs aebtll ga e:
this resulted in mayofthei hutch-
lings being crushed on nearby
eals." Tue, the development of
new hotel in the Halfpeany Bay
ea should find ways to reduce
lighting. especially during tude-
neing season.
Maoy ways esl to eaiduce gh
for developmnb t along the coast
PFor example, xiting Ilghting can
be shaded or screned usig anaoral
or structural bearies or by lowering
the elevation o the ligh.
Sandy Poiun National Wildlife
Refuge on St. Coix; is the largest
oanhd b pai epr of lolatio of seet
in sean tatles. p earisoerly the
hethuihua sea ose.. ain h Unit-






ad Staes. a is ye er nest le oect







h mgsa tagged with a
Man H blood s ols m n laei
Uof whmr 5$ddh d 355-su







ul'r lau ohooadrial OKA is
Ma dbehIaolo behavior sea n-
oesa lmeg a MU.l l cldsoad o

isfis reseaesr boo boen codsgcsd
bAs we u14 yea m oreao ou-
onial enpoomearIy a lbaso
of noilesn s onalm s Sdi trtleso
weaa n lmong ao poeat e a
as., tod bonetnsu km -

















thesne, miw
0ad 0nd1oW asd hao o pao i
Taunls ar tossed wolot a
mihcrbhl. blood iaplos an lao
1li0.1 odhe. mhrhondlial DNA a0




ooasa.l sevoomeel. i 15a bwew
eidea diat only lieob 5 noIt--
we o look b rad

St. Cnoi ecologis. aidr alnd
cowardlnes of nto. who Ull
deosenoleua siaise. See tters
ial. Lu.la. -m lha am a iae



ogmue andjrbeoty reofog. irea
Sr. Croix rcologitr. arrivls and
wrcIr.