World Status, Exploitation and Trade - WIDECAST

18-5TURKS AND CAICOSISLANDSturtles. Although the sea turtle industry was quite large during thisperiod, it gradually declined until it had virtually disappeared by 1950. Apresumed decline in the turtle populations and a reduced demand for turtleproducts were thought to be responsible for the disappearance of theindustry .Domestic trade Garland ( in litt . , 7 October 1986) reported domestictrade in turtle meat, eggs and shell products. No tourist trade intortoiseshell jewellery and curios was noted by Carr et al (1982), althoughit was thought that such trade may have occurred at Providenciales , the maintourist centre. Fletemeyer (1984b), reported that nearly all turtles wereconsumed locally, although they were found sporadically in markets all yearround. Local prices in 1982 were: live weight, US$1.00 a lb (US$2.20 a kg);meat, US$1. 90-2. 50 a lb (US$4 . . 50 a kg); shell, US$10. 00-20 . 00 a lb(US$22. 00-44. 00 a kg); and eggs, US$1.00 for 50 (Fletemeyer 1984b). Thetotal annual income derived from turtle fishing was estimated to beUS$12 000-18 000 (Fletemeyer, 1984b).International trade Japanese imports of bekko from the Turks and Calces(and Cayman) Islands are given in Table 209. There are no report ofJapanese imports of bekko in years other than those given in Table 209.CITES annual reports for the period 1977-1985 record the import to the UKfrom the Turks and Caicos Islands of two shells of E. imbricata in 1979.The Turks and Caicos Islands are not party to CITES. Carr et al (1982)reported some trade of tortoiseshell with Haitian buyers, but noted that thevolume of this trade was insignificant.Table 167. Japanese imports of bekko from the Turks and Caicos (andCayman) Islands, 1963-1971 reported in Japanese Customs Statistics.1963