World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

FIJITrends in nesting numbers No reliable comparative data are available.Bustard (1970) reported several sites where turtles were said to be lessabundant than in previous years, or had ceased nesting altogether; thisapparent widespread decline is attributed by Bustard to the avidity withwhich eggs and turtles are hunted.Nesting season Most turtle nesting on Fiji appears likely to occurduring the austral summer, with a peak around January (Bustard, 1970).Foraging sites No detailed information is available, but suitable reefareas appear to be widespread in the group.THREATSBustard (1970) stresses that local exploitation of eggs and adults for foodis intense, and coupled with technological advances (such as the use ofoutboard motors), has led to over-exploitation.EXPLOITATIONCommodity Turtle meat has long been a delicacy of the Fijians and isalso in great demand in tourist restaurants. Eggs are also collected, andthere is a major shell carving industry (Bustard, 1970). Both C. mydas andE. imbricata shell are used (Hirth, 1971).Hunting intensity Turtles are caught in large numbers around theislands, and the "local consumption" of turtle meat is recorded in Fisheriesstatistics supplied by the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of PrimaryIndustries (G. Nath in litt. , 16 September 1986). These are given inTable 60, along with fisheries statistics from the FAG, which specify bothC. mydas and other species of turtles. The annual totals between 1981 and1984 show little correlation, the FAO figures being appreciably higher. Itis possible that the FAO statistics include the weight of E. imbricatacaught which may not be included in the figures for meat for "localconsumption" supplied by the Ministry of Primary Industries.Table 60. Reported harvests (in tonnes) of turtles in Fiji. 1 = "localconsumption" of turtle meat is recorded in Fisheries statistics supplied bythe Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) (G. Nathin litt. , 16 September 1986). 2 = FAO catch statistics.Year 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 8A 851. Fisheries Division (M.P.I.)Turtles 13 24 34 21 122. FAO StatisticsC. mydas 45 36 42 40 13 10 8 10 30 18 30Other Turtles **12312210 64* 0-0.5 t186