| Seychelles's Torches Turtle Shell Stockpile at Miss World 1998 Contest |
11/23/98: In a press release, the Government of the Seychelles reported today that in front of the world press and the contestants of the Miss World 1998 Pageant it has burned all the turtle shell it had collected from artisans four years ago when it banned sea turtle exploitation.
The Seychelles has a tradition of sea turtle exploitation, but in recent years the Seychelles Government has acted to protect the animals. The shell stockpile, weighing 2.5 tonnes, represents the shell of approximately 3,300 highly endangered sea turtles. It has been in storage on Mahe since July 1994 when it was acquired from local tortoiseshell artisans. The shell was prized for its use in making everything from collector's cigarette boxes to frames of designer glasses.
The press release quotes Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, as saying: "The stock we have burned today represents about US$115,000. The artisans have been compensated with Seychelles Government funds as well as funds provided by the Global Environment Facility administered by the World Bank. Our actions today put paid to an aspect of our people's cultural past and sets a firm course for Seychelles to be the leader in environment conservation. We wish through today's event to send out this important message to the world."
Making the most of the moment, the Seychelles Government arranged for 12 of the Miss World 1998 Pageant contestants to help dispose of a portion of the stockpile. The contestants, representing six continents and all the island states, sailed out to the deep ocean behind the Saint Anne Marine Park and cast the shells out to sea.
This is the first time that a valuable stockpile of raw tortoiseshell has been destroyed. Hawksbill turtles have been prohibited from international trade since 1975 when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) came into force. Despite the ban, the hawksbill has been driven toward extinction by the continuing shell trade, fueled in large part by Asian markets. From 1970 to 1992 Japan alone imported about 754 tonnes of raw shell, representing about 712,000 large hawksbills.
The hawksbill turtle populations of Seychelles, although much reduced from previous levels, remain among the largest in the world today. In most other countries hawksbills have already been driven to virtual extinction. Seychelles, mindful that tourists come to enjoy her beautiful environment, now prefers to "exploit" her sea turtles as a tourist attraction. Visitors to Seychelles have the opportunity to enjoy watching live sea turtles as they lay eggs on the nesting beaches and swim among the beautiful coral reefs. The hawksbills of Seychelles are unique in the world, in that they nest primarily in broad daylight, instead of at night.
Sea turtles have been completely protected by law in Seychelles since 1994.
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