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Marine Turtle Newsletter 13:13-14, © 1979

Conservation, Utilization, Antelopes and Turtles

G. R. Hughes
P.O. Box 662, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Broad generalizations about the conservation status of animal species are often made and enlarged upon by the popular press. One's personal concern about a species or group often makes it difficult to assess its status in objective comparison with the status of other species or groups. A case in point is a comment in a recent report which stated that sea turtles cannot withstand intensive exploitation. Taken to mean maximum exploitation, viz., every animal that one can lay hands on, then, of course, no community, neither animal nor plant, can withstand this. If however, this infers a degree of exploitation, in other words, it is stated as a suggestion that no turtle population should be exploited because it is likely to disappear rapidly, then it is a highly misleading statement.

There is every indication that sea turtle populations are extremely resilient. In the Caribbean, turtles have been ruthlessly and totally persecuted for 500 years. This was no idle casual relationship but intensive in the full meaning of the word. Despite the disappearance of many individual populations there are still sea turtles in the area. Even the Nicaraguan turtle factory came and went and there are still turtles in Tortuguero. To me it is a source of great wonder that there are any sea turtles at all in the central Americas, the Seychelles, and in Madagascar the presence of hawksbills is indicative that sea turtles are proven survivors against incredible odds (see Hughes, 1973, Biological Conservation, 5, 114-118).

This is not to suggest, of course, that sea turtle populations can, or ought to be exploited, but it is not in my opinion factually correct to infer that they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation of any sort. If one really wishes to see vulnerable animal populations, one need not leave Africa where antelope populations numbering hundreds of thousands, if not millions, have been nearly wiped off the face of the earth in less than 100 years. Smaller antelope populations have been totally extirpated. If protection was lifted from some antelope species, they would disappear in a year and some of them are not even listed as endangered by IUCN.

The survival of many antelope species is directly attributable to the rational commercial use thereof; springbok, blesbok, eland, etc., are all safeguarded because of a vigorous campaign involving the farmer and his game to the profit of both. In many parts of the world the survival of the sea turtle may depend upon the same tolerant view being pursued. The sea turtle record indicates that a turtle population could be exceedingly tolerant of rational exploitation and prove an enduring asset. As in every walk of life, broad generalisations can be highly misleading and every turtle population should be considered individually. Where total protection is feasible, let us have it; where not, let us not close the door to survival by ignoring a valid conservation technique - utilization.