Turtling (hunting) - Why Turtles Are Hunted - History of Turtling

History of Turtling

Humans have been interacting with turtles for thousands of years. Turtles (and their eggs) have been used for food, medicines, and decoration for centuries. Turtle soup has been a staple in many tropical cultures. The harvesting of turtle eggs for food is another activity that many tropical cultures have relied upon for protein. The use in several Asian cultures of marine turtle eggs as aphrodisiacs has brought high prices for the robbing of the turtle nests on the beaches. Even today, Hawksbill turtles are prized for their shell that makes fine jewelry, eye glasses, and other ornaments, while turtle skin as a whole is used to make shoes, belts, and purses.

In Melanesian societies, it was common during funeral ceremonies, or a time referred to as Bood, for locals to partake in a feast of turtle meat and other delicacies. The deceased were sealed into a tomb, and several years later it was tradition to reopen the tomb and to indulge once more on turtle meat. Because turtle meat was relatively rare, hunting the turtle for others during this time was considered to be a display of public generosity. While turtle hunting within this culture is not as common as it was decades ago, locals on Murray Island, Australia, continue to hunt green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) during the turtle mating season. The turtles are pursued by groups of 3-6 hunters, where a leader, around one decade older than the other members of the group, uses a harpoon to kill the 100–150 kg turtle.

Locals in Lowland, Eastern Bolivia consider the turtle species' Podocnemis unifillis and Podocnemis expansa to be highly desirable as a food. The locals who live in this area, which is close to Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, have been expressing a concern over the decreasing numbers of turtles. Ecological research shows that turtle numbers decline with proximity to human settlements. This can be explained directly due the hunting of turtles, or also indirectly with the Ecology of Fear principle, Predation. Marine turtle products contribute to the population problems among aquatic turtles. Although most countries outlaw this activity now, and protect their marine turtles, there are still poachers.