DAILY BANNER (Cambridge, Michigan) 31 January 06 Group works to save turtles (Dave Ryan)
Dorchester: On a recent unseasonably warm afternoon from a private beach near Oyster Shell Point, 53 full-grown diamondback terrapins started their return back home. A small group of volunteers gathered to see them off.
One remembers this beach from his childhood, some 90 years ago. The others are taking a break from their sporting clays and chat amongst themselves.
As the last of the 53 turtles lumbers beneath the gentle waves of the Choptank, members of the Terrapin Institute recorded biometrics and site conditions and hoped that some of the repatriated terrapins would return in a few months to nest.
Members of the Terrapin Institute, based in Edgewater, want to act as stewards of the terrapin, its tidewater habitat and heritage hope to restore the species in abundance throughout its historic range. The day’s release was part of a preservation, recovery and assessment effort in cooperation with land owners and residents of Dorchester County.
“The diamondback, our revered State Reptile, University Mascot and original flagship of the Chesapeake deserves our collective concern,” a statement from the institute said. “The 53 terrapins mark the beginning of the Institute’s research in the Choptank.”
Each terrapin is equipped with a tiny yellow identification tag attached to the top shell. These turtles were purchased from the commercial industry so that Maryland watermen and seafood dealers can receive income from the species.
Marguerite Whilden, leader of the institute, said the terrapins are believed to have been harvested from the Lower Chesapeake, where their habitat remains relatively unscathed. However, as a reptile, the terrapin does not reproduce or grow like the animals constituting other Chesapeake fisheries.
Ms. Whilden is concerned that an increasing commercial harvest and market demand from out of state may quickly deplete the Chesapeake terrapin population.
She was careful not to place blame for the terrapins’ low numbers upon the watermen. “They are decent people,” she said, adding that with so few active watermen, she believes they can’t have a great affect on the turtle population.
“The Institute would like to emphasize our appreciation for the cooperation from local watermen and property owners,” the statement said. “Without their continued cooperation, our work would not be possible.”
About 100 years ago, the terrapins’ population crashed, the result of high demand for their flesh. Turtle meat was once so common, indentured servants in colonial days signed contracts limiting its use in their meals.
Now that some recovery has taken place, Ms. Whilden sounds a note of warning. “This species could collapse again without warning,” her statement said.
She said she has been working for five years for guidelines or restrictions on the numbers of terrapins caught. Asked what needs to be done for a sustainable harvest, she said, “Right now, I think it’s too late. It has to be cut off.”
The institute has decided to release the majority of its terrapins in the Choptank. The event Friday was preceded by the first on Thursday.
The institute is interested in learning if the terrapins moved to the Choptank will stay and reproduce or leave in search of their natal waters and mates. “Our preliminary findings indicate that some of the terrapins repatriated on the western shore in 2005 nested in the new habitat while other terrapins migrated back to the more suitable habitat of the Eastern Shore,” the statement said. “We ask residents, watermen, fishermen, and hunters to report back to us if any of these tagged terrapins are observed or recovered. Please do not remove the tag.”
“Please call the Terrapin Institute at (410) 370-9171 to report terrapin sightings or for general information on terrapins and tidewater habitat,” the statement said. “We also hope to continue our work with schools to promote tidewater stewardship at an early age.”
Group works to save turtles