Almost 200 turtles have been found dead in Bermuda’s waters in the last six years, with boat strikes accounting for 21 percent of those deaths, according to Conservation Services.

A spokeswoman confirmed that 195 turtles have been killed since 2008. The figures were released following a petition to create a turtle sanctuary in the Somerset Long Bay area in Sandys, adding that “the Ministry looks forward to the results”.

“Public support for the creation of protected areas and self policing by members of the public is one of the critical components for effectively maintaining such areas,” the spokeswoman said.

Responding to the calls for a turtle sanctuary, the spokeswoman pointed out that the area could be designated as “a critical habitat” under the Protected Species Act, and “set aside with prohibitions or restrictions on activities as the Minister may consider necessary for the protection of that species”.

However, the spokeswoman noted that the area “and associated boating channels” are already within the five knot no-wake zone that runs 100 metres from shore around the Island, covering “much of the restrictions that a marine reserve would impose”.

“The key is not just enforcement of the existing law but the public’s adherence to the law and jet ski rentals educating users on appropriate boat etiquette as well as obeying the law,” she noted.

Somerset Long Bay is around 35 hectares in area, according to Conservation Services, 45 percent of which falls within the five-knot speed restriction zone.

The petition also called for a ban on anchoring on seagrass meadows, which turtles thrive on.

Conservation Services estimates that seagrass covers 90 percent Somerset Long Bay, although the five-knot zone covers 38.5 percent of the seagrass meadow.

“Yes, anchoring is damaging to the seagrass habitat,” said the spokeswoman.

“Anchors, especially those known as Danforth or sand anchors, can uproot seagrass rhizomes, or roots. However, even more damaging to seagrass meadows is the destruction caused by the propeller when a boat is operated in shallow water.

“The propeller dredges the sediment and uproots the entire plant creating a ‘propeller scar’ in the seagrass bed. Furthermore, adjacent seagrass can be buried by the displaced sediments. If a vessel runs aground in a seagrass bed it can create a deep hole by scraping and scouring away the mat of seagrass and upper layers of sediment. These injuries are often exacerbated by the operator attempting to escape the grounding site by powering off the seagrass meadow causing significantly more physical and biological damage than the original injury.”

In total, 308 turtles have been stranded since 2008 in Bermuda, 113 of which were alive at the time, according to figures provided by Conservation Services. Of the 113 live strandings, 61 turtles were successfully released, 51 eventually died as a result of the conditions that caused their stranding, and one is still in rehab.