World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

CAYMAN ISLANDSTable 36. Imports of bekko, other tortoiseshell and turtle skins from theCayman Islands reported in Japanese Customs statistics (kg). No importswere reported in 1985 or 1986.1972 '73 '74 '75 '76 '77 '78 '79 '80 '81 '82 '83 '84Bekko 78_____936 963 1083 3096 3863 6321 6110 2505 3022 2258 115Other 2950 2150 1410 405 1851 1331 240 569 405 600 1210 250 168Skins 36 23514 2824 14778 6687 000RANCHING/ FARMINGThere is one turtle farm on Cayman Islands, currently trading under the nameof Cayman Turtle Farm (1983) Ltd, P.O. Box No. 645, Grand Cayman (GeneralManager: Or J.R. Wood). A farm was first established in 1964 at Governor'sCreek, North Sound, Grand Cayman, and then operated as a company calledMariculture Ltd from 1968 until 1975, when it was liquidated owing tofinancial problems. The farm was bought in 1976 by new investors includinga German couple, the Mittags, and set up as Cayman Turtle Farm. At the sametime the operation was moved to a land-based site at Goat Rock. In March1983, after again going into receivership, it was bought and taken over bythe Government of the Cayman Islands.At the 4th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES a proposal waspresented by the UK which would allow limited trade in captive bredspecimens of species which took longer than three years to reach maturity.The argument was that it was unreasonable to expect a commercial enterpriseto wait until the requirements of Conf. 2.12 with respect to the breeding tosecond generation had been fulfilled for long-maturing species because thatmight entail waiting for 30 or more years before commercial sales could takeplace. The proposal was discussed in the Technical Export Committee sessionbut strong opposition was expressed on the grounds that Conf. 2.12 had beenadequately drafted. As a result the proposal was withdrawn before beingpresented to the Plenary session and was referred back to the TEC. Aproposal was then presented to the 5th Meeting of the Conference of theParties to consider the turtle population of the Cayman Turtle Farm as aranched population, and to transfer it to Appendix II under the terms ofResolution Conf. 3.15. This was rejected on the grounds that Conf. 3.15should only apply to wild populations. The UK Government then submitted aspecial resolution to allow trade in turtle products from CTF, but this wasalso rejected.Stock On 1 January 1984, a total of 17 134 C. mydas were kept on thefarm, including 283 breeding stock. The farm also maintains a herd of 43Lepidochelys kempii owned by the Mexican Government under a jointconservation project.Production The products of the farm are meat, shells, oil, leather,calipee and calipash. Animals are slaughtered at about 3.5 years at anaverage weight of 24 kg. In 1982 annual production goal was 1500 turtles.Approximate production figures are given in Table 37.Following the decision of the USA, in 1979, to ban the importation of allsea turtle products including farmed products. Cayman Turtle Farm reducedits total stock from 2 000 000 lb (909 091 kg) live weight in 1978 to200 000 lb (90 909 kg live weight in 1983. Intense destocking from 1979 to125