The Sea Turtle Harvest in the Kai Islands, Indonesia

Alexis Suárez

Introduction

The Kai Islands are located between New Guinea and Australia, in the Maluku Province of Indonesia (5°43'S; l32º50'E). A diversity of marine life inhabits this archipelago which includes six species of sea turtles: green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and flatback (Natator depressus) turtles. Leather- backs (Dermochelys coriacea) frequent the waters southwest of Kai Kecil Island to feed on jellyfish which are seasonally found in large numbers in this area.

The study area encompassed eight villages, five of which are located on Kai Kecil Island (Ohoidertutu, Ohoidertom, Ohoiren, Somlain and Matwaer), and three which are located on adjacent islands (Ur, Tanimbar Kai and Warbal) (Fig. 1). Population size in these villages ranges from 50 to 850, and the area is inhabited by a total population of approximately 4,000 inhabitants. Kai residents subsist primarily on marine resources and agriculture, and fish and marine turtles are the main sources of protein throughout the year.

Fig. 1: Location of traditional leatherback fishery in the Kai Islands, Indonesia. Depths are in metres. Map is not to scale.

The objectives were to gather information on the traditional leatherback fishery and the distribution, abundance and use of other sea turtle species in Kai waters (including the sale of sea turtle products). In collaboration with Programme Lingkunkan Maluku, this project conducted the following activities from October 1994 to February 1995: observed leatherback hunts at sea; conducted interviews of village chiefs, elders, fishermen and others throughout Kai; and visited vendors, warehouses, and breeding operations of hawksbills in the islands, and in Tual and Ambon, nearby ports and city-centres.

Methods

Rituals, locations, methods and traditional beliefs associated with the traditional leatherback hunt were documented and the hunt was photographed (see Suárez and Starbird 1996). Fishermen, elders, village chiefs, teachers, and others from Kai communities were asked about the local distribution, ecology and use of sea turtles; leatherback capture numbers, season, locations, methods, and traditional beliefs associated with the hunt. Interviews were conducted using a standardised questionnaire, and a species identification leaflet with photos of each species. To learn about the sale of hawksbill shell in the area, questions regarding this subject were included in interviews. Information learned from interviews led to visits to shell vendors, breeding operations, and a warehouse full of hawksbill scutes illegally available for sale.

Any sea turtles or sea turtle habitats, such as seagrass beds and coral reefs, encountered while travelling throughout the islands were noted. Fishing camps on Warbal and Ur Islands were visited to interview fishermen and look for evidence of turtles captured in this area. Any evidence of turtle harvest throughout the archipelago was noted. Fishermen and village chiefs from eight villages were trained in sea turtle data collection techniques and hired to collect data (e.g., species, measurements, method of capture, fate of the shell/meat) for turtles taken in their villages for a six month period.

Results

The traditional leatherback hunt - Leatherback turtles, locally known as Tabob, have been hunted (Fig. 2) in the Kai islands for approximately seven generations in Ohoidertutu (P. Teniwut, Ohoidertutu, pers. com.). Leatherbacks are easily accessible to fishermen in the Kai Islands during October to January, when large numbers congregated in offshore waters to feed on large aggregations of jellyfish. Most leatherback hunting occurs in the Kai Islands during this time, and some hunting occurs in February and March if sea conditions permit. Eight villages on Kai Kecil and adjacent islands of Ur, Warbal and Tanimbar Kai (Ohoidertutu, Ohoidertom, Matwaer, Ur, Warbal, Ohoiren, Tanimbar Kai, and Somlain) are the only villages in Maluku which hold the rights to hunt leatherbacks in this area.

Fig. 2: A leatherback hunted at sea by Ohoidertutu villagers, Kai Kecil, Indonesia.

Traditional beliefs and rituals, known as adat, are associated with the hunt. Adat is equated with the will of the ancestors and requires villagers to hunt for ritual and subsistence purposes. Adat prohibits the trade or sale of leatherback meat and it is local belief that a violation of adat may incur the wrath of ancestral spirits. Prior to the hunt, a village chief or elder makes offerings to deity and ancestors in a private, traditional ceremony. These offerings include a 100 Rupiah coin, rice liquor, lime, areca palm nuts and tobacco. Eight to ten men then sail a large dugout to an area 5-10 km from the western shores of Kai Kecil. Chanting is believed to attract a leatherback to the boat and occurs throughout the hunt until a turtle is sighted. In a chant hunters express their respect for the leatherback and their need for meat. Once a leatherback is sighted, the sails are dropped and all men on board row towards it. A man on the bow harpoons the turtle through the carapace or neck with a detachable spear tip (Fig. 3). When the turtle tires from struggling, it is pulled to the boat with a rope and clubbed on the head. Several men must then jump in the water to push the turtle over the gunnel of the boat.

Fig 3. A leatherback captured with several harpoons in the Kai Islands.

A hunting boat from Ohoidertutu was observed capturing a leatherback in as little as one hour from the time it left the village (Suárez, pers. obs.). As many as 13 leatherbacks have been taken by this village in one day (P. Teniwut, Ohoidertutu village chief pers. comm. 1995). It is estimated that approximately 100 leatherbacks can be taken in one season by the villages in Kai, depending on other village activities. The villages of Ohoidertutu, Warbal and Tanimbar Kai are the most active hunting villages among the villages in Kai. Ohoidertutu takes 60-70 % of the total number of leatherbacks. This village, established in 1800, has several strong boats and hunting cooperatives. It is also situated in a windy location in the islands, and local fishermen have strong and seasoned sailing and hunting skills. Warbal, Ur, and Tanimbar Kai combined take 30-40 % of the captured leatherbacks, but because they are near coral reef areas, they tend to rely more on hard-shelled turtle species and fish. The villages of Ohoiren and Matwaer are small and have few hunting boats. Somlain village relies much less upon sea turtles for meat because they have poultry coops and over 60 % of their men live in Irian Jaya to work in the mines.

During this study, 65 leatherbacks were captured in Kai, of which 61 were harpooned and four were incidentally captured in nets. The average curved carapace length was 147cm (range 136-173). The leatherbacks which accidentally landed in nets were discarded, as they were caught by Muslim fishermen who do not eat turtle meat, and adat prohibits the trade or sale of leatherback meat.

The utilisation of sea turtles in Kai - Six species of sea turtles inhabit Kai waters, and all except the flatback have the following local names: Keran for the hawksbill turtle; Fen babar for the loggerhead; Fen mafurit for the green; and Fen marcel for the Olive ridley turtle. Sea turtles inhabiting Kai waters are captured with harpoons, nets, and treble hooks, and on the beach while nesting. Their nests are also poached. Evidence of sea turtle harvest was seen throughout the archipelago. Economic pressures to support families make turtles and their eggs a prime target for coastal residents since they are easy to obtain, harmless and fetch a good price. The commercial value of turtle products in the market exposes them to exploitation, especially during the recent economic crisis in Asia. In addition, the human population in Kai has increased in recent decades, and will likely continue to increase in coming decades. For example, Ohoidertutu village today has a total population of 833 residents, 300 of whom are under the age of 12.

Hard-shelled sea turtles (Cheloniidae) are utilised as a means of sustenance, for traditional feasts, and to generate extra income for those who hunt and sell their meat, shell and eggs in Tual, the commercial center on Kai Kecil (Fig. 4). Treble hooks are used to capture turtles in the shoulder or leg with its triple hook. Turtles are also incidentally captured in shark and gill nets set throughout the islands, and especially around the villages of Ohoidertutu, Ur, Ohoiren and Warbal. Hawksbill and green turtles comprise the majority of the take, and are captured with nets and treble hooks near the islands of Ur, Warbal, Utir, Noohoe Taa, Lea Tengwaer, and Tanimbar Kai and near the villages of Somlain, Ohoidertom, and Ohoidertutu on Kai Kecil Island.

Fig 4: Children of Somlain village await the butchering of a turtle.

During this study, the green turtle was the species most frequently taken in Kai. In a six month period, 173 greens were captured (57 % in nets, 39 % by treble hook and 4 % while nesting). Two tags were recovered from Australian and Malaysian green turtles killed in Kai waters. The green turtle from Malaysia was tagged twenty five years ago. Eighty-seven hawksbills were taken (60 % in nets, 39 % by treble hooks and one was harpooned near a reef). Three Olive ridleys were taken in waters near Kai Kecil Island. A female was captured using a treble hook, and the fishermen reported the turtle swam towards him and was easy to capture. The other two were males, one was captured in nets near Warbal Island and the other by harpoon during a leatherback hunt. No data was collected on these animals or on the two flatback turtles taken by a fishermen on Ur Island.

After many generations of intensive harvest, Kai residents report sea turtle numbers have declined in recent decades. Other marine animals in Kai, such as dugongs and giant clams, have experienced a similar fate and are now very rare. The intensity of the turtle harvest may be due to a number of reasons, including: (i) the loss of forest resources in southwestern Kai Kecil and a greater dependence on marine resources; (ii) an increasing Kai population; and (iii) an increase in the number of nets now available and used in this area.

Hawksbill sale - In 1995, hawksbills were still captured in Kai and their products sold throughout Maluku and Indonesia. All hawksbills encountered in Kai are captured for meat and the majority of carapaces from the larger animals are sold. Most of the hawksbills are taken from the southern Kai Islands, as they are reported to be more rare in northern Kai. Hawksbill shell has been an important cash crop in Kai, especially during 1970 to 1990, when villages in Kai made substantial amounts of money from the hawksbill trade. Village Chiefs in Kai claim to have sold thousands of kilograms of shell to buyers in Jakarta, Tual, Ambon and Sulawesi.

Live turtles and their meat were still sold in markets in 1995, and hawksbill jewelry and stuffed hawksbills were sold widely throughout Indonesia, at various airports and in many downtown stores in Ambon, Jakarta, Tual, and Sulawesi. Profit made from the hawksbill trade is not evenly distributed among all those who contribute to their capture and sale, and local villagers appear to make the least profit from any final sale.

From interviews we learned of a local warehouse in Kai where hundreds of kilograms of hawksbill scutes were stored. We visited this warehouse as well as a village in northern Kai where 41 hawksbills with the white scutes, considered more expensive, were kept in captivity for breeding (Fig. 5). We also interviewed and visited a hawksbill shell buyer/seller and a craftsman in Tual who made jewelry from shells and stuffed turtles for sale to tourists. In his shop were shells as small as ~30cm, as well as many other marine specimens from local fauna, such as dugong tusks to be made into cigarette holders. Several other stores which sold hawksbill products were visited in Tual and Ambon.

Fig 5: A hawksbill sea turtle in a breeding operation in Kai Kecil Island.

Conclusions

Six species of sea turtles inhabit the waters of the Kai archipelago and are often killed whenever encountered. All of those interviewed throughout the islands reported that local sea turtle abundance has declined in recent decades. This exploitation is likely to affect turtle populations of nearby islands, such as Irian Jaya, Tayandu and Am, and neighbouring nations, such as Malaysia and Australia (as evidenced by tag recoveries). Also, one can assume the various flatback carapaces which were seen in a fishing camp on Ur Island are from Australia.

With the endangered status of leatherbacks in mind, it is of concern that today some traditional adat beliefs associated with leatherback hunting in Kai no longer exist. Elders report that today leatherbacks are hunted more frequently and in greater numbers than in past decades. This shift in attitudes is especially present among younger generations who hunt without as much regard for tradition, and this was also documented during the observation of hunts at sea (pers. obs.). This is especially concerning because it is local belief that adat will keep leatherback populations from declining or becoming extinct.

The leatherback turtles which forage in Kai waters are likely to come from a nearby nesting site, such as the north coast of Irian Jaya, some 1000 km away by sea (Bhaskar, 1985). The current status of this nesting population is in question, as it has been subjected to intensive nest loss for many years from predation by wild pigs, poaching and erosion. Two other leatherback populations have shown recent dramatic declines, the nearby Terengganu, Malaysia population and the Pacific population of leatherbacks in Mexico (Chan and Liew 1996, Sarti and Eckert 1996). The many current threats to leatherbacks in the IndoPacific, and these recently documented declines, imply a greater need for the conservation of any remaining leatherbacks in the Pacific.

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