World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

CHILEC. mydas is the most conunon species of sea turtle in Chilean waters, and issaid to be found most often in the summer. The record from Isla Desolacion(52''57'S) is the most southerly in the world. There are no confirmedrecords of breeding, but there are various reports of finding small turtleson beaches in Cipani, Iquique and Chiloe. E. imbricata has never beenrecorded (Frazier and Salas, 1983).EXPLOITATIONTurtles are captured sporadically in Chile, but there is said to be nomarket for the products, and fishermen consider it bad luck, to kill them.They are evidently not an important resource (Frazier and Salas, 1983).InternationaltradeChile ratified CITES on lA February 1975. CITES Annual Reports record notrade in turtle products with Chile other than a single shipment of 3 lb ofeggs of C. mydas imported to the USA in 1981.LEGISLATIONApart from its obligations under CITES, Chile does not regulate hunting ortrade of reptiles.CHILE:EASTER ISLANDMost information about turtles on Easter Island comes from Harrisson (1971,cited in Pritchard, 1982a). Apparently four species, including C. mydas andE. imbricata occur there and are well known to the natives, though they weresaid to be more scarce and irregular than they were last century. Nestingmay occur on sheltered beaches. The ancient inhabitants built stone "turtletowers" along the coastline, but they have not been used in living memory.There are indications that the turtles were respected and not slaughteredindiscriminately, though these traditions were lost with the coming ofCatholicism.A National Park management plan (Anon., 1976) said that the island wasoccasionally visited by C. mydas agassizi , C. japonica (= C . mydas mydas )and E. imbricata . No breeding has been reported.130