364
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. II
waters during the 1960s and 1970s. During this period, there was a pronounced
switch from subsistence consumption to commercially driven harvest. The new
demand for exports resulted in a several-fold increase in take of green turtles and,
ironically, a decrease in turtle consumption within the local Miskito community.
Consumptive demand competes with nonconsumptive demand because turtles
that are eaten are no longer available for people to experience in the wild. Thus,
turtle harvesting enterprises can interfere with ecotourism enterprises. Decreases in
abundance of sea turtles may also lower existence and bequest values considerably
by making it more difficult to observe sea turtles and by reducing their function
within ecosystems. Of course, the consumptive value relative to the nonconsumptive
value varies a great deal among human cultures. International agreements made in
the last 30 years, such as the CITES, the Bern Convention on the Conservation of
European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the Inter-American Convention for the
Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles, and the Bonn Convention on Migratory
Species, appear to reveal a global tendency toward recognizing existence and option
value in sea turtles. Many signatories of these agreements include countries where
sea turtles were once harvested and traded in high numbers, but that have now found
alternative sources of food and income from sea turtle products.
The cultural tendencies of the developed world to weigh nonconsumptive value
in sea turtles over their consumptive value, and to weigh limited consumption over
unlimited consumption, are strongly influenced by both living conditions and appreciation. Consuming sea turtles may be like a decision about what portion of one’s
library to burn for warmth. One could forgo this decision with the realization that
there are alternative fuel sources. But without other combustibles, a freezing person
is tempted to send even the most loved volumes into the fire, and for someone who
does not appreciate reading, any book is as good as firewood.
14.6 MEASURING SEA TURTLE VALUE
Ideally, measures that are compared should have a common unit for their comparison.
For value measurements, this unit is currency. Although for many, placing a dollar
(or yen, euro, pound, etc.) value on sea turtles seems ludicrous, no comparison of
different value appraisals (for instance, consumptive versus nonconsumptive use
value) could be accurate without it. Currency value of sea turtles allows at least
some attempt at cost–benefit analysis when appraising environmental policy and
management projects, and it allows a justified assessment of environmental values
(e.g., fines) in damage assessments and compensation. Oil spill damage may provide
the most common example of compensation based on resource valuation including
sea turtles (Hannah and Getter, 1981).
Some measures of consumptive use value for sea turtles come from commercial
market prices. Sea turtles are priced by meat (Frazier, 1980; Nietschmann, 1982;
Lagueux, 1998), eggs (Lagueux, 1991; Campbell, 1998; Chan and Liew, 1996), and
tortoiseshell (Meylan and Donnelly, 1999). The value of whole commercial fisheries
has been estimated as well (Parsons, 1962; Rebel, 1974; Woody, 1986). However,
because these values do not include nonconsumptive use and nonuse value, they do
not reveal the total value necessary to make informed economic decisions about sea
1123 book.book Page 364 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM
The Biology of Sea Turtles, Vol. II
waters during the 1960s and 1970s. During this period, there was a pronounced
switch from subsistence consumption to commercially driven harvest. The new
demand for exports resulted in a several-fold increase in take of green turtles and,
ironically, a decrease in turtle consumption within the local Miskito community.
Consumptive demand competes with nonconsumptive demand because turtles
that are eaten are no longer available for people to experience in the wild. Thus,
turtle harvesting enterprises can interfere with ecotourism enterprises. Decreases in
abundance of sea turtles may also lower existence and bequest values considerably
by making it more difficult to observe sea turtles and by reducing their function
within ecosystems. Of course, the consumptive value relative to the nonconsumptive
value varies a great deal among human cultures. International agreements made in
the last 30 years, such as the CITES, the Bern Convention on the Conservation of
European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the Inter-American Convention for the
Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles, and the Bonn Convention on Migratory
Species, appear to reveal a global tendency toward recognizing existence and option
value in sea turtles. Many signatories of these agreements include countries where
sea turtles were once harvested and traded in high numbers, but that have now found
alternative sources of food and income from sea turtle products.
The cultural tendencies of the developed world to weigh nonconsumptive value
in sea turtles over their consumptive value, and to weigh limited consumption over
unlimited consumption, are strongly influenced by both living conditions and appreciation. Consuming sea turtles may be like a decision about what portion of one’s
library to burn for warmth. One could forgo this decision with the realization that
there are alternative fuel sources. But without other combustibles, a freezing person
is tempted to send even the most loved volumes into the fire, and for someone who
does not appreciate reading, any book is as good as firewood.
14.6 MEASURING SEA TURTLE VALUE
Ideally, measures that are compared should have a common unit for their comparison.
For value measurements, this unit is currency. Although for many, placing a dollar
(or yen, euro, pound, etc.) value on sea turtles seems ludicrous, no comparison of
different value appraisals (for instance, consumptive versus nonconsumptive use
value) could be accurate without it. Currency value of sea turtles allows at least
some attempt at cost–benefit analysis when appraising environmental policy and
management projects, and it allows a justified assessment of environmental values
(e.g., fines) in damage assessments and compensation. Oil spill damage may provide
the most common example of compensation based on resource valuation including
sea turtles (Hannah and Getter, 1981).
Some measures of consumptive use value for sea turtles come from commercial
market prices. Sea turtles are priced by meat (Frazier, 1980; Nietschmann, 1982;
Lagueux, 1998), eggs (Lagueux, 1991; Campbell, 1998; Chan and Liew, 1996), and
tortoiseshell (Meylan and Donnelly, 1999). The value of whole commercial fisheries
has been estimated as well (Parsons, 1962; Rebel, 1974; Woody, 1986). However,
because these values do not include nonconsumptive use and nonuse value, they do
not reveal the total value necessary to make informed economic decisions about sea
1123 book.book Page 364 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM