World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

JAMAICAHunting intensity Official Statistics (cited in Kerr, 1984) showproduction in 1982 of 40 828 leg of turtle meat and 1859 leg of processedturtle shell. Kerr (1984) also provided other statistics on the intensityof exploitation. Using information from surveys and interviews, it wasestimated that in 1982 catches (including incidental) totalled472 (33 975 kg) Hawksbills and 27 (4980 kg) Green Turtles. Kerr furtherestimated that, in 1982, 20 000-30 000 eggs, more than 70 nesting females,and about 120 turtles at sea were taken for subsistence use.Hunting methods Turtles and their eggs were generally taken wheneverencountered, Hawksbills being captured with spearguns (Carr et al . 1982).Historical trends Extensive early literature indicates that Jamaica wasan important centre of sea turtle exploitation during the early days ofcolonisation of the Caribbean (Carr et al , 1982). Kerr (1984) estimatedturtle catches of 143 372 kg and 28 710 kg in 1962 and 1967 respectively.Sea turtles were protected in Jamaica in 1982 and this caused an initialdecline in the level of fishery. However, the enforcement has since beenreduced and the number of people fishing for turtles is believed to haverisen again, although there are no figures available to substantiate this(A.M. Haynes in litt. . 15 January 1987).Domesticshell.trade Carr et al (1982) noted local trade in eggs, meat andInternational trade Japanese imports of bekko and other shell fromJamaica are given in Table 98. Jamaica has clearly regularly served as asource of Hawksbill shell and exports have continued illegally sinceprotection was granted in 1982.Table 98. Imports to Japan of bekko and other tortoiseshell (kg) fromJamaica, 1950-1986, reported in Japanese Customs Statistics.1952 '53 *54 "55 "56 '57 '58 '59 '60 '61 '62 '63 '64 '65 '66 '67 '68Bekko 550 415 801 375 657 1292 1617Other2118 1618 1468 1490 1509 580 725 1572 809122 64'69 '70 '71 '72 '73 '74 '75 '76 '77 '78 '79 '80 '81 '82 '83 '84 '85 '86Bekko 776 600 943 1852 2521 222 286 343 683 128 559 695 419 1499 709 474 170 2182Other 45 100 453 997 140Jamaica is not a Party to CITES, but CITES Annual Reports from the period1977-1985 record imports to F.R. Germany from Jamaica of Hawksbill shelltotalling 551 kg in 1983, 153 kg in 1982, and 68 kg in 1981, all of whichwas declared as pre convention material. The Jamaican Ministry ofAgriculture permitted the export of this material, having been satisfiedthat it was acquired before the turtles became protected, in 1982(A.M. Haynes in litt . , 15 January 1987). However, it is difficult to274