>On 10 Sept 1997, I said   RE: Camyman Turtle Farm releases:

>I did not see the original post.
>These are all valid questions, but there are others:

A subscriber kindly sent me a copy of the original post.  It did not occur
to me that these could be juvenile/adult Kemps Ridleys.  A program of
captive breeding and holding until adulthood of this species appears
unjustified in the first place, specifically because of the problems in
evaluating an eventual release.  Among other problems, the 352 turtles may
never breed anywhere -- even though they will be competing for resources
with competent wild turtles.  The Cayman Turtle Farm and the Mexican
government accepted a long-lived responsibility when they initiated this
project, and now there are 352 long-living individual turtles that cost
money to feed and take up space.  Until an unbiased group of outside
experts approves this plan, it is not  *releasing* it is  *dumping*.

Don
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