2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Tridacna spp.
The demand for Tridacna meat was reported to be particularly high in Asia
(Kinch and Teitelbaum, 2010), with adductor muscle favoured in the Chinese and Taiwanese
markets, and sushi and sashimi meat in the Japanese market (Shang et al., 1991; Wells, 1997;
Lucas, 2003; Kinch, 2009). In the early 1990s, the estimated annual catch of Tridacnidae from
the wild for international trade was 1.5 to 2.5 million specimens globally (Wells, 1997).
Large-scale commercial harvesting was reported to have taken place in Solomon Islands
during the 1970s-1980s, reaching a peak catch of about 10.2 tonnes of adductor muscle for
export in 1983 (Pauku and Lapo, 2009). With adductor muscle representing only about
12 per cent of the total meat weight, the harvesting rates were considered to represent
“overfishing of severely depleted populations” (Pauku and Lapo, 2009).
Illegal fishing by foreign vessels was considered the main contributor to Tridacnidae
overfishing between the 1960s and 1980s (Kinch and Teitelbaum, 2010). More recently,
international pressure and improved surveillance have been reported to have helped reduce
illegal industrial fishing (Kinch, 2009; Kinch and Teitelbaum, 2010).
In the Solomon Islands, Tridacna spp. were reported to have an important role in subsistence
and small scale fisheries (Pauku and Lapo, 2009), and also used for ornamental purposes
and jewellery (Govan, 1988). Ramohia (2006) found evidence of possible Tridacnidae
overfishing for subsistence purposes in marine surveys conducted in 2004 within the
Solomon Islands, and a questionnaire survey conducted in the Bellona Island by
Thaman et al. (2010) showed that Tridacnidae were “increasingly rare because of
overexploitation and tropical cyclones”. Kinch et al. (2006) noted that even in those
communities where Tridacnidae species were not consumed due to religious reasons, there
were signs of over-exploitation, presumably due to local demand from the capital city
Honiara’s hotels and restaurants.
Other threats to Tridacna spp. were reported to include habitat degradation, pollution,
disease and increased sea temperatures (Mingoa-Licuanan and Gomez, 2002;
Raymakers et al., 2003; Othman et al., 2010).
Overview of trade, management and mariculture in the genus
Trade: The species T. derasa, T. gigas and T. maxima were listed in CITES Appendix II on
29/07/1983; the entire family Tridacnidae was listed in CITES Appendix II on 01/08/1985.
The Solomon Islands became a Party to CITES in 2007 and has not yet submitted an annual
report.
According to importer-reported data in the CITES Trade Database, trade in species of
Tridacna originating in the Solomon Islands principally involved live specimens and shells,
the vast majority of which was for commercial purposes. A total of 88 907 live specimens
(53 per cent wild-sourced; 34 per cent captive-bred and 12 per cent captive-born) and 181 kg
of live specimens (all wild-sourced) were imported directly from the Solomon Islands over
the period 2000-2010. Tridacna crocea (40 per cent) and Tridacna derasa (40 per cent) accounted
for the majority of the trade in live specimens, with Tridacna derasa comprising a larger
proportion of the wild-sourced trade (51 per cent of live specimens and 100 per cent of live
recorded by weight). In addition to the trade in live specimens, 8 706 shells (44 per cent
wild-sourced; 51 per cent captive-born and 6 per cent captive-bred) and 100 kg of meat (all
captive-born) were imported over this period. A small proportion of the trade (34 live,
captive-bred specimens and one confiscated shell) was recorded at the genus level
(Tridacna spp.).
In addition to the trade recorded at the species and genus level, trade reported at the family
level (Tridacnidae spp.) over the period 2000-2010 comprised 450 live specimens, 70 shells,
20 kg of meat and 38 meat reported without units. This trade, however, may also include the
167