World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

KENYAEXPLOITATIONConmodity Marine turtles serve as a source of meat, eggs and oil to thecoastal people in Kenya. The shell of E. imbricata and the meat of C . mydashave in the past supplied an important export trade (Frazier, 1974).Hunting intensity Outside national parks, where some protection isgiven, it is thought that few nesting turtles survive human predation.Frazier (1980a) reported that poaching was widespread but probably accountedfor fewer than a few hundred turtles a year.Hunting methods Most turtles are captured on the nesting beaches, butthe people of the Bajun Islands to the north have a long tradition ofhunting turtles off shore, and use nets and remoras for this purpose(Travis, 1967; Ray, 1969).Historical trends Frazier (1980a) considered that the Barjun peoplehistorically probably took a few hundred turtles a year. Elsewhere turtleswere probably eaten "when they were encountered". From 1952 to 1964, twobrothers, D.G. and R.B. Whitehead, exported turtles from Kenya to Europe,although some of the turtles may have been caught off the Somali coast.Department of Fisheries statistics indicate that up to 1000 but usuallyfewer than 500 turtles were exported a year (Frazier, 1980a). However,Parsons (1962) claimed that 1000-1500 were exported annually between 1954and 1959, and Travis (in Goodwin, 1971) estimated that 2400-2800 may havebeen exported a year. He said that after the war, the turtle fishing skillsof the Kisingitini people were enlisted by commercial concerns, and thatwithin five years the Kenyan turtles were reduced to near extinction(Travis, 1967). Parsons (1962) also mentioned that a plant to extractturtle oil was set up in 1951, followed the next year by a turtle soupcannery. By 1954, this plant was taking 200 turtles a year. Controls onturtle capture were introduced in 1959, with a licensing system, under whichonly 23 skippers held licences in 1958 (Parsons, 1962). Frazier (1980a)said that C. mydas became totally protected in 1962, but Ray (1969) reportedthat fishing licences were issued for a total of 40 turtles at the time ofhis writing, although he estimated that up to 240 may have been taken theprevious year.DOflMatic trads Frazier (1980a) reported that in the early 1960s turtleswere sold by the fishermen for US$8 each, bringing a price of US$30 to theexporter. Meat was still sold to the coastal people in 1980 and the shellsto tourists (B. Kendall in litt. , 4 July 1980).International trade The East African Hawksbills have probablycontributed to the tortoi seshell trade of antiquity, but it is not known howimportant the turtles from Kenya itself were (Parsons, 1972). A majorexport of live turtles and frozen meat to Europe started after the end ofWorld War II (see above), and for a while this constituted the major sourceof turtle meat in England (Parsons, 1962).Kenya ratified CITES on 13 December 1978, and has not reported any trade inturtle products. However the CITES Annual Reports of the importingcountries have indicated sporadic trade in shells and stuffed turtles withKenya, amounting to six E. imbricata and five C. mydas since 1976.Customs statistics indicate that Kenya has continued to export tortoi seshelllong after E. imbricata became protected in the country. Kenya's ownCustoms statistics indicated exports of 1661 kg, 872 kg and 761 kg of shell290