World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

TANZANIAMazlwi Island, apparently the major Tanzanian nest site for both C. mydasand E. imbricata . is reported to have effectively disappeared, due toerosion (or perhaps tectonic movements) (Anon. [Reuter] 26 March 1982, UNEPRegional Seas No. 11). These reports do not seem to have been confirmeddefinitively, and the present condition of the nesting populations isunknownNesting numbers According to Frazier (1982), around 50 females may nestannually in Tanzania, with perhaps 20 of these on Maziwi alone (see previousparagraph)Trends in nesting numbers No detailed information is available, butTanzanian turtle populations in general are suspected to be depleted. Theinferred decline is attributed to exploitation (mainly in the past),disturbance and habitat loss (Frazier, 1982).Nesting season Most nesting appears to take place February-March(Frazier, 1982).Foraging sites Little site-specific information is available, butsuitable coral reef zones, which may harbour foraging turtles, areconcentrated around Zanzibar, Mafia, Maziwi Islands, and Kilwa, and are morescattered north of the Rufiji river (Frazier, 1974).EXPLOITATIONCommodity The meat of C. mydas is widely eaten in Tanzania, though eggsare apparently not dug up. The trade in Hawksbill shell has a long historybut involves more shell imported from neighbouring countries than thatcaught locally (Frazier, 1980a).Hunting intensity The annual crop of C. mydas is said to be about 500 ayear (Frazier, 1980a).Hunting methods Most of the turtles are caught on the beaches, but thereis a small net fishery in the south of the country (Frazier, 1980a). Olderreports (see Loveridge and Williams, 1958) indicate that the fishermenaround Zanzibar used to use remoras for catching turtles.Historical trends Zanzibar has featured as a major entrepot intortolseshell trade since the first century A.D. (Frazier, 1980a), andturtle populations have probably been depleted since prehistory (Frazier,1980a). It is believed that exploitation was greater in former years(Frazier, 1974). In the early 1960s, a Kenyan company (q.v.), run by theWhitehead brothers, was Involved In fishing turtles off Tanganyika forexport from Mombasa, although they reportedly caught few turtles(I. Robertson in litt. , 10 June 1987).Domestic trade Green Turtle meat was said to sell in Zanzibar forUS$0.50 a kg (Frazier, 1980a). Despite regulations to the contrary, turtlecarapaces are said to be openly on sale In Dar es Salaam (K.M. Howellin lltt. , 20 February 1987).International trade Frazier (1980a) documented the early Internationaltrade in tortolseshell from Zanzibar. From 1891 onwards, annual Importsaveraged 2300 kg and exports averaged 2600 kg. Between 1920 and 1963, themainland regularly sent shell to Zanzibar, at an average level of 540 kg a512