World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

MALAYSIAThe only period when significant levels of exploitation of the adult turtleshas been reported was during the Japanese occupation in World War II, when300-500 turtles are thought to have been killed by the Japanese for food(Harrisson, 1947).Domestic trad© With the exception of any export trade, all eggscollected on the turtle islands are sold in Sarawak. The total revenue fromthe egg sales from 1964 to 1978 varied between M$8013 and M$61958 a year.This indicates that the price per egg rose from about 9 cents in 1964 to26 cents in 1978. The costs of running the Turtle Board and collecting theeggs must be set against this income, and over the 14 years the gross incomeof M$499 754 was balanced by an expenditure of M$463 647, an average annualprofit of M$2579 (de Silva, 1982).International trade At the beginning of this century, Sarawak used toexport large quantities of turtle eggs. Harrisson (1962) quoted totals of1 172 000 for 1905, 551 000 for 1926 and 213 000 for 1931, saying that theexport since 1947 had been negligible, but that eggs had started to beimported. From 1973 to 1977, Sarawak reported imports and exports of turtleeggs and unworked tortoiseshell in its Customs statistics. These are givenin Table 123 and confirm that imports of eggs, mainly from neighbouringKalimantan, continues. Schulz (1987) reported that there was a verysubstantial export of eggs from the Indonesian islands off Kalimantan toSarawak. Sarawak is not reported as having exported any significantquantity of tortoiseshell, although relatively high levels of imports arerecorded. There is no indication that these refer to the shell of marineturtles. Other aspects of the international trade of Malaysia are discussedin the section on West Malaysia.RANCHINGA hatchery programme has been operated on each of the three Turtle Islandssince the 1950s. Eggs are collected when they are laid, and a proportionare reburied in hatcheries. The numbers buried and the resulting hatchingpercentages are shown in Table 122. Since 1970, the hatching success ratehas varied from 47t. to 96%, with an overall mean of 70.0% (Leh, 1985b).Hatching success rates in the region of 70% are reported from May toOctober, although at other times of the year the success is said to be onlyabout 20%. All the money for the hatchery and the research programmenormally derives from the sale of eggs, although an additional grant ofM$40 000 from state funds was made In 1982 (Leh, 1985a).LEGISLATIONTurtle Trust Ordinance (1957), and Turtle Rules (1962).Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1958 (1 January 1958), amended 22 February1973.The following species are listed as protected animals. They may not behunted, killed or captured, except under licence. The animals,trophies thereof or their flesh may not be sold, possessed or exported:C. mydasE. ImbrlcataD. corlaceaRights granted under the Turtle Trust Ordinance are exempted fromthese provisions.317