World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

CHINA,PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OFInternational trade Overseas trade statistics are not available forChina, but it is possible to infer imports and exports of tortoiseshell fromthe export and import statistics of its trading partners. These are givenin Table 42. The only countries to report exports to China were Hong Kong,Singapore and Thailand, while Hong Kong and Japan reported importing fromChina. Japan's imports were recorded under the category of "tortoiseshellexcluding bekko", implying that they were not E. imbricata shell. It is notknown how much if any of the remaining trade represents the shell of seaturtles, but it is probable that most was the shell of freshwater turtles,because most of Hong Kong's and Thailand's exports are thought to be of thiscommodity.China acceded to CITES on 8 January 1981, and has never recorded any tradein sea turtle products in its Annual Reports. The USA has recorded seizingsmall quantities of various turtle products said to have originated inChina, and Italy reported exporting six C . mydas handbags to China in 1983.Table 42. Imports and exports of tortoiseshell (kg) to and from Chinainferred from the Customs export statistics of Hong Kong, Singapore andThailand and the Customs import statistics of Hong Kong, Japan and SouthKorea.1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985IMPORTSHong Kong 4257 5221 3902 2781 3827Singapore _ _ _ 600Thailand _ _ _ _ _300 - 8196 7062 15489 19288 76956- 600 538 4743- - - 2650 8100EXPORTSHong KongJapanS. Korea1410 405 1851 1331 240- 600569 405 600 1210 250- 1000 - 3500600168500216LEGISLATIONWang Xiaoyan ( in litt. . 20 November 1986) listed four pieces of legislationprotecting sea turtles in China:(1) Regulation of breeding and protection of aquatic resources.(2) Detailed rules and regulations of aquatic resources reproduction andprotection in Guangdong Province(3) Stipulation of the reserves of Xisha, Nansh and Zhongsha Islands inGuangdong.(4) Stipulation of the Huidong Turtle Reserve, Guangdong Province.134