Dear Mary,

Last year the Watermen’s Gazette published an excellent article in support of terrapin conservation and the work of Cantler’s Riverside Inn and the Terrapin Institute.  You invited me to include an additional article asking for help from watermen, specifically information of any tagged terrapins.  I am grateful for the response and cooperation from members of the watermen community.  I am requesting your help and that of the watermen of the Bay again.  As the Maryland Waterman Association prepares for major action against polluters and regulators, perhaps a proactive, preemptive measure will elevate the organization’s plight among the general public.  While I realize most watermen believe they have already given in too much, this may be the ideal time to step up to the plate and give up the terrapin.  It would be a modest gesture with huge returns.

 To date, my information on terrapin population, distribution, and fishing mortality is due to the cooperation from buyers and harvesters.  During the 2004 study, our organization has purchased our study terrapins from seafood dealers at $4.00 a head.  Rather than collect them ourselves under our Scientific Collection Permit, we pay full market value for our study terrapins, measure, tag, and release them.  This way, both harvester and wholesale buyer receive income from the species and the species is returned to provide recruitment and ecological function for future years.  This effort is privately funded with no expense to the taxpayer.  The hope is that since our tagged animals have already contributed to the economy, harvesters would be more inclined to leave these tagged animals in the Bay.  I believed there was an unwritten code that tagged or marked animals would not be taken out by harvesters.  Watermen know an animal is tagged for a reason and that usually it is for fisheries management purposes.

In less than four months, some of the tagged terrapins (six so far) are making it back to the market and I buy them a second time.  I bought the same terrapin three times.  Maybe there is no such understanding among watermen regarding tagged or marked animals or perhaps there are a few watermen who just ignore it.  The buyers with whom I work call me when a tagged terrapin shows up in the catch and I am indebted to them for cooperating with our effort.  It reflects well on the fishing industry and demonstrates a commitment to conservation, wise use, and good stakeholder management.  I fully understand that watermen are under no obligation to leave a tagged animal alone and it is not the obligation of the buyer to advise the harvester about tagged animals.  But, the majority of the public may find it difficult to understand why anyone, particularly those depending on the resource for income, would deliberately disrupt a conservation research study by removing an important component, especially for a mere $2.50 per terrapin (dockside price). 

The Terrapin Institute is doing what we can to work with the industry and allow for an economy from this species, while trying to repatriate and conserve the existing stock.  The most sustainable economy from this species is not food, but goodwill and stewardship incentive for the general public.  The terrapin fishery collapsed once already due to over-harvesting.  Historical references are compelling and predictive.  At the current rate of commercial harvest, it is only a matter of time before the terrapin disappears again.  There are no measures to restock terrapins in this State or any mandate to protect shoreline and fisheries habitat.  The harvest records are incomplete and do not reflect an honest fishing mortality.  Without any scientific data from which to establish an allowable harvest of this species, this is at best “faith-based” fisheries management.  It seems incongruent to expect homeowners to use a by-catch reduction device in crab pots or preserve and restore beach strand habitat for terrapins and other fisheries, while a poorly regulated commercial harvest of unlimited numbers of the prime reproductive female terrapins continues.  Since there are existing harvest restrictions in all neighboring States and additional recent restrictions in North Carolina, Maryland’s stock of wild terrapins is under more fishing pressure.  As demand increases in nearby urban markets, our supply will be exhausted very soon.  

 The Terrapin Institute has pledged to keep our sources confidential; we do not reveal particulars on harvesters and buyers with whom we work.  I’ve worked hard to earn the trust among watermen and dealers.  I’ve learned there is much more distrust between authorities and watermen then I imagined; we cannot expect the harvest reports to improve anytime soon.  Our data collected to date documents a major deficiency in reporting and management in the terrapin fishery.  What we think we know is nowhere near accurate.  While the loss of the terrapin will not be a serious economic impact to Maryland’s seafood industry, the loss of the State’s Reptile and University Mascot will be tragic in the public’s view.  Is there anything we can do to avoid yet another fisheries crisis?   Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

 Marguerite Whilden

The Terrapin Institute

410 370 9171

410 757 9268