Is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle protected in Trinidad and Tobago?

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) is protected under the Conservation of Wildlife Act (COWA, Chapter 67:01). Harming, capturing, or killing this species without authorisation is a criminal offence. International trade is regulated under CITES Appendix I of CITES, meaning import and export require valid permits. The species is also listed under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), reflecting its international conservation significance.

What are the main threats to the Loggerhead Sea Turtle in Trinidad and Tobago?

The main threats to the Loggerhead Sea Turtle in Trinidad and Tobago are: Bycatch in longline, trawl, and gillnet fisheries; Marine debris ingestion and entanglement; Vessel strike; Climate change affecting nesting habitat (range-wide); Artificial lighting disorienting hatchlings (range-wide).

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Loggerhead sea turtle swimming in the Caribbean Sea near Grand Cayman

Reptile

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Q: Is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle endangered?

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, immediately recognisable by its massive, block-like head and powerful jaws capable of crushing the toughest shellfish. In Trinidad and Tobago, loggerheads move through offshore and coastal waters as part of their wide Atlantic migrations, making them a relatively uncommon but important presence in local seas. Their vulnerability to fishing gear makes every encounter in T&T waters a conservation concern.

Caretta caretta

Photo: James St. John · Grand Cayman, Caribbean Sea (CC BY 2.0)

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, immediately recognisable by its massive, block-like head and powerful jaws capable of crushing the toughest shellfish. In Trinidad and Tobago, loggerheads move through offshore and coastal waters as part of their wide Atlantic migrations, making them a relatively uncommon but important presence in local seas. Their vulnerability to fishing gear makes every encounter in T&T waters a conservation concern.

Identification

Named for its disproportionately large head, the loggerhead carries a reddish-brown, heart-shaped carapace that can reach 90 cm in length, with adults typically weighing between 80 and 200 kg. Those powerful jaws are purpose-built for a diet of hard-shelled prey, crushing conch, whelks, crabs, and other benthic invertebrates with ease, though jellyfish and other soft prey are also taken.

Range and Occurrence

Loggerheads are not established nesters in Trinidad and Tobago; the species nests primarily on beaches in Florida, the Mediterranean, and parts of the wider Caribbean. Their presence in T&T waters is as oceanic and coastal wanderers: juveniles drift with Atlantic gyre currents and can spend years in the open ocean before settling into coastal foraging grounds. Adults and sub-adults pass through or reside temporarily in the productive shelf waters around both islands. Rare, incidental nesting events have been reported on Trinidad beaches, but these are exceptional.

Conservation

The primary threat to loggerheads in T&T is incidental capture (bycatch) in longline fisheries targeting swordfish and tuna, as well as in coastal trawls and gillnets. Turtles that ingest or become entangled in marine debris face serious injury or death. Vessel strikes in busy shipping lanes near the Gulf of Paria are an additional hazard. Under the Conservation of Wildlife Act, all sea turtles in Trinidad and Tobago are fully protected, and the species is further shielded by its CITES Appendix I listing and EMA Environmentally Sensitive Species designation.

Threats

Bycatch in longline, trawl, and gillnet fisheries
Marine debris ingestion and entanglement
Vessel strike
Climate change affecting nesting habitat (range-wide)
Artificial lighting disorienting hatchlings (range-wide)

Conservation status

This species has a dedicated entry in the Biodiversity Atlas with full legal and conservation context.

See Loggerhead Sea Turtle in Biodiversity →