Letters sent from around the world by MTN readers have greatly helped our cause. P. Mohanty-Hejmadi in litt. Acting Director of Fisheries, Simone Tuilaucala said Tuesday the Cabinet has decided to outlaw turtle sales for 12 months from March 1995. A permanent ban would be possible after that, he said. Islanders will still be able to kill turtles for ceremonial, customary or subsistence purposes as they have done for centuries.
Environmentalists warn that six turtle species are in severe decline from over-exploitation.
Fiji is one of the region's biggest consumers of turtle meat. Turtles are sometimes sold in markets alive as they lie helplessly on the back of their shells. Meat is also sold on roadsides where vendors scoop it out of upturned shells. Latest available figures show that about 20 tons of turtle meat was sold in Fijian markets in 1984. This is estimated to represent about 800 adult turtles.