World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

REUNION AND ILESEPARSESTable 169, and has amounted to a cumulative loss of 42% of the totalhatchling intake since the farm started. The mortality in subsequent yearshas been significantly lower (Bonnet, 1986; Anon., 1987a).When the turtles are selected for slaughter, they are kept in separate tanksfor 5-6 days without food to allow emptying of the alimentary tract. Theyare then taken to a nearby slaughterhouse, shot in the skull with a humanekiller, exsanguinated and butchered in accordance with French veterinaryhealth regulations.Turtles reared at the farm have suffered from severe dermal necroses,affecting the skin of the flippers and neck, in some cases resulting in theamputation of the end of the hind flippers. Experiments have shown thatthese necroses have been at least partially due to a nutritional imbalance,resulting from a deficiency in certain fatty acids. Supplementing the diethas produced improvements; the lesions on the hind flippers, formerly theworst affected area, have mostly disappeared, although they are stillpresent on the fore flippers and neck. Further nutritional investigationsare in progress (Bonnet, 1986).Finances The farm income from various sources is shown in Table 170.Current prices are FF55 a kg for meat, FF150 a kg for calipee, FF1500 forpolished carapaces, FFIOO a kg for oil, FF1500 a kg for medium qualityshell, and FF3500 a kg for top quality shell. An economic analysis providedin 1987 showed that, on turtles alone, the farm could break even with anannual production of 2500 turtles, giving 75 t live weight a year. Thiswould require the removal of 4300 hatchlings a year, and would give aturnover of FF3 . 5 million. At full capacity, the farm could produce 5000turtles a year, giving 150 t, and a profit of FF865 000 on a turnover ofFF7.26 million. Food accounted for about half of the running costs.Although there is said to be a large local market for meat, much higherprices can be obtained for exports to Metropolitan France (Anon., 1987a).Meat sold locally between 1981 and 1984 averaged FF38 a kg, while thatexported to France fetched FF61 a kg (Le Gall, 1985).Status A proposal to transfer the Europa and Tromelin populations ofC. mydas was prepared by France for the 4th Meeting of the Conference of theParties to CITES in April 1983. After lengthy discussion in the committeestage the proposal was withdrawn. A revised proposal was submitted to the5th Meeting held in June 1985, but was rejected, largely on the grounds thatthe procedures for marking the products of the operation were inadequate.Revised marking procedures were submitted to the CITES Technical CommitteeMeeting held in June 1986 and were accepted. A revised ranching proposalwas submitted to the 6th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES,but was rejected.EUROPAPOPULATION:Chelonia mydasNesting sites Nesting occurs along a portion of the lagoon complexsituated in the north-east, and extends along parts of the north, west, andsouth coasts (Le Gall et al , 1985). Hughes (1974, Table 11) estimated thelength of nesting beach at around 6.7 km. Survey work has been concentratedon the 500-m Station Beach (adjacent to the Meteorological Station).439