MTN 15:3-5 Should Sea Turtles be Exploited?

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Should Sea Turtles be Exploited?

H. R. Bustard
Crocodile Breeding and Management Project 19-4-319, Lake Dale, Rajendranagar Road, Hyderabad-5002 64, A.P., India

I was delighted with the positive approach shown to this topic in the Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 13 (Nov. 1979), particularly with the Editorial. Perhaps, as someone with extensive experience both in developed countries (Australia) and in very traditional and developing areas of the world (Melanesia and India respectively), I can take up some of the points so cogently made by Mrosovsky, Carr and Hughes in their contributions.

I have strong emotional sympathies with Carr. It would be nice to have no international trade in turtles or other endangered or potentially endangered species. I eat turtle happily at the village level but do not myself have any desire to make a business out of it. In Australia - where we could afford it-my advice to Government, which was accepted in the 1960's, was total protection. However, in Melanesia such an approach would cut across traditional usage, and here my advice has been to continue utilisation (how can one stop it?) but channel this, in my view, legitimate right to use turtles to broaden the conservation base. This may not be as difficult as it appears because all traditional users have a strong vested interest in the survival of turtles. Such a policy, I am sure, would be right for areas like Papua New Guinea and the Seychelles Islands for example.

Mrosovsky points out that we should take risks. Writing as a population ecologist, I would say that we can limit the odds and make the risks acceptable by taking up schemes which are conservative like the people who will benefit from them. The point that Mrosovsky makes, that both the people and the Government must be involved, is true. In much of the developing world including India, I am convinced that unless wildlife is utilised we will lose most or all of it. In eastern Orissa we have a number of large Pacific ridley rookeries. One of these has been monitored since 1975 and has c. 150,000 nesting females in a good season (see article by Kar above). The Government formerly sold the rights for collection of approximately two million eggs per annum. These licences were cancelled, following my advice in 1975, and total protection afforded to the nesting turtles and their eggs. Since the protecting agency (the State Forest Department) does not have sea-going vessels, poaching, which we are trying to control by other means, still continues several miles offshore. If we are able to protect several huge rookeries of this kind, limited and scientifically managed exploitation of sea turtles can take place elsewhere, both within and outside of Orissa. I have never approved of the 'ban anything' mentality. Unfortunately, our small, but I think significant contribution to Lepidochelys olivacea conservation was strongly criticised in a recent issue of the Marine Turtle Newsletter (No. 12, Sept. 1979) without bothering to ascertain the facts. It is important to appreciate that shortcomings or accidents will always be more newsworthy in a spectacular sense than solid conservation achievements.

The international conservation fraternity's 'protect everything' philosophy does real conservation-which surely includes sustained/yield utilisation - as opposed to mere preservation, a great disservice in that it makes the countries in the developing world feel that total protection alone represents advanced thinking. This results in blanket conservation laws being brought in-never mind that they may not be enforced - which prevent the operation of conservation through good utilization schemes which would substantially benefit the populations. I have been preaching conservation through utilisation since the IUCN Marine Turtle Group was formed. IUCN Groups who wish to advance their animals must be pragmatists, have access to good scientific data and contain within their midst people with extensive experience of the sheer enormity of problems in the developing world, especially the enormous pressure on all resources - especially land - as a result of huge human population growth.

The Government of India/FAO/UNDP large-scale Project-Crocodile Breeding and management is able to protect some very large Lepidochelys rookeries in Orissa. However, this can only be for a few years - covering the decade or so of the life of the Project. The future of this sanctuary, which was set up for the endangered saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), and extended to include the Lepidochelys rookeries, is in scientifically-managed utilisation. To enable this to have access to the best scientific advice, I have 7 Indian students working for their Ph.D degrees under my guidance in India - not training overseas.