World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

REUNION AND ILES EPARSESOne important technical point is that the lies Eparses appear not to be inthe EEC, and consequently the import of hatchlings from Europa and Tromelinto Reunion is in contravention of EEC Regulation 3626/82; certificates toallow trade in their products should not therefore be issued. Analternative interpretation, according to Bonnet ( in litt . 22 April 1987),is that the French Government has considered the lies Eparses to be Frenchterritory directly administered by the national government itself, in whichcase EEC certificates would not be necessary for the transport of hatchlingsto Reunion. However, both the EEC Commission and French Customs authoritieshave stated that the lies Eparses are not within their jurisdiction, inwhich case strict interpretation of the law indicates that such transport isindeed in contravention of Regulation 3626/82.There is evidence of a small amount of illegal import to R6union of turtleproducts from elsewhere, as material from Madagascar and South East Asia areon sale in the island.LEGISLATIONArrete No. 1985/DAE/CE (4 July 1983) relatif k la r6glementation de laproduction et de la commercialisation des tortues marines sur la territoiredu Oepartement de la Reunion.1. The destruction, removal, capture, utilisation, manufacture, transport,purchase, sale or offering for sale of C. mydas and E. imbricataoriginating in the wild, or their nests, eggs, or other products isprohibited.2. These provisions shall not apply to C. mydas raised on a ranch under dueauthority.3. All trade, donation, transport, introduction, import and export ofC. mydas and their products, except those covered by article 2, and ofall E. imbricata is prohibited.RANCHINGName of operation Soci6t6 Bourbonnais d'Aquaculture, Pointe desChateaux, St Leu, 97436 Reunion.The ranch is situated on a narrow strip of land between the main road andthe sea, near St Leu. It was originally set up in 1977 under the name ofCORAIL (Compagnie R6unionnaise d'Aquaculture et d' Industries Littorales),but this ran into financial difficulties and the ranch was taken over andreconstituted as SBA in 1985. Following the rejection of the proposalsubmitted to the 6th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES in1987, the financial future of the ranch was again thrown into doubt. Anapparent attempt to reduce the stock, by clandestine slaughter was preventedby the intervention of the authorities in March 1988 (Courbis, 1988).Species and numbers The commercial operation depends principally onC. mydas , although a single adult E. imbricata is kept for displaypurposes. Recent economic diversification has seen the experimental rearingof Tilapia spp. The stock of C. mydas in the farm is given in Table 169.The stock built up to a peak in 1981, when an administrative decision wastaken to reduce production, and the majority of the stock was slaughtered.Since 1984, the stock has been progressively increased.436