A report on the "Japanese Sea Turtle Trade, 1970-1986" 

 Mil liken and Tokunaga (1987) contains some estimates of 

 Eretmochelvs imbricata captured to export bekko to Japan. 

 Certain western Atlantic countries that formerly shipped moderate 

 to significant quantities of bekko to Japan have shipped none or 

 very little from about 1983 to 1986. These are Bahamas, Costa 

 Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and St. Lucia. In 1985, 

 Honduras had killed about 2,500 Eretmochelvs to supply bekko to 

 Japan. Cayman Islands was estimated to have killed, or at least 

 to have obtained, in excess of 5,000 Eretmochelvs in 1984 and 

 1985 for this purpose, but the estimated kill dropped to about 

 half that amount in 1986. Cuba was estimated to have been the 

 source of 2,000 to 5,000 Eretmochelvs annually to supply Japan 

 with bekko from 1970 through 1986. Curiously, 5 Caribbean 

 countries that previously shipped little bekko shipped moderate 

 to significant amounts in 1986: about 400 Eretmochelvs each from 

 Antigua and St. Vincent, about 600 from Dominican Republic, about 

 1,700 from Haiti, and more than 5,000 from Jamaica. 



One interesting shift in the market value of Chelonia my das 

 is contained in the market survey data of the Chelonia my das 

 adult kill in Costa Rica. During June-August 1986, when an 

 estimated 6,056 Chelonia were butchered, the price per kilogram 

 was only 30 to 50 colones. However, during June-August 1987, 

 when only an estimated 1,817 Chelonia were butchered, the price 

 per kilogram increased to 120 colones. In a report received 11 

 October 1987 from Costa Rica, in San Jose, Chelonia mydas meat 

 was selling for 160 colones per kilogram (about $1.12 US per 

 pound) and Chelonia mydas eggs were being sold for 120 colones 

 per dozen (about 10 cents US per each) . 



The National Report for Barbados gives some current values 

 for sea turtle products: sea turtle meat (Chelonia) at $1.40 US 

 per pound; Eretmochelys shell at $7.50 US per pound; and eggs 

 ( Dermochelvs and Eretmochelys ) at $2.00 US per pound. An 

 Eretmochelvs imbricata in Barbados of about 160 pounds, the 

 average weight of a breeding female, would currently be worth 

 about $112.00 US in meat, and $50.00 US in shell, for a total of 

 about $168.00 US, plus a few dollars more, if she contained 

 shelled eggs that were sold. 



There has been a recent attempt to solicit exploitation data 

 from the Caribbean by James Richardson. A 21-page questionnaire 

 was distributed through the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle 

 Conservation Network (WIDECAST) requesting information on sea 

 turtle markets, illegal trade, stock assessment, and 

 socioeconomic considerations. The results have been minimal. A 

 2-page draft questionnaire has been prepared by Marydele Donnelly 



36 



