World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

INDIANesting numbers Nesting numbers in mainland India appear to be extremelylow, and of little significance nationally or regionally.Foraging sites Foraging numbers are thought to be generally very low,although little detailed information is available. Bhaskar (1984b) citeslocal fishermen's reports that the species occurs in very small numbers inGujarat waters. The Gulf of Mannar-Palk Bay area between Tamil Nadu and SriLanka is the one known important feeding area.Foraging numbers No numerical estimates are available.EXPLOITATIONComnodlty Turtles are exploited for meat, eggs, oil and, to a smallextent, shell and leather in different parts of the Indian mainland. One ofthe most intensive areas of egg collection is in West Bengal, where the mainspecies exploited is L. olivacea , although the eggs of other species arealso eaten. In southern Saurashtra, an area of nesting predominately byC. mydas , villagers remove the eggs from every nest found (Bhaskar, 1984b).Turtles are considered unclean by some Hindus, but the meat is eaten inplaces. Southern Tamil Nadu is the area where most Green Turtles are eaten.The meat Is said to be rarely consumed in northern Gujarat, but It is eatenIn Maharashtra and Goa. Turtles are regularly eaten on the east coast ofIndia, but there the species is almost exclusively L. olivacea , althoughHawksbills occasionally turn up in the markets of West Bengal (Kar andBhaskar, 1982; Bhaskar, 1984b; Das, 1985). There are several reportedInstances of turtle poisoning documented by Silas and Bastlan Fernando(1984). Most of the cases occurred in Tamil Nadu, and the species wasidentified as E. imbrlcata , although there were two recent Instances wherehuman mortality was attributed to C. mydas . In Tirunelveli District, TamilNadu, there Is reported to be a tradition of avoiding all turtle meat exceptthat of C. mydas . the livers and Intestines of which are normally discarded(Silas and Bastlan Fernando, 1984).Medicinal uses of turtle products are also reported, and In some coastaldistricts the meat, fat and eggs are thought to help in the cure of lungdiseases, particularly asthma (Bhaskar, 1984b).Turtle oil Is used for sealing boats, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and thereis a local use of the leather of C. mydas and L. olivacea in Saurashtra formaking sandals. The shell is rarely used on the mainland, although theremay be a slight exploitation of E. Imbrlcata for this purpose in Tamil Nadu(Dattatrl, 1984; Kar and Bhaskar, 1982).Hunting intensity The Gulf of Mannar is believed to be the chief areawhere turtle fishing is carried out, but there is little recent Informationon the levels. Frazler (1980a) reported that the market at Tutlcorlnslaughtered 20-30 turtles every Sunday, and estimated that the total harvestin this area "In recent years has probably been several thousand". InGujarat, some 10-15 turtles were said to be sold dally towards the end ofSeptember In the fish market at Mlthapur (Bhaskar, 1984b). Slralmeetan(1985) reported that turtles were caught "in good numbers off Okha coast".Hunting methods other than capturing nesting turtles on the beaches, thechief methods of exploitation are the use of set nets and harpoons,particularly in Tamil Nadu (Dattatri, 1984). Special tangle nets are used232