A study of hunting and trade of freshwater turtles and tortoises (Order Chelonia) at Danau Sentarum

In west Kalimantan, Indonesia, a study of hunting and trade in the species of freshwater turtles and tortoises (Order Chelonia) indigenous to Danau Sentarum National Park (DSNP) was undertaken during the summer months of 1995. Research revealed that the trade targets 3 species of soft-shelled turtles (Amyda cartilagenea, Dogania subplana and Pelochelys bibroni), and the Malaysian giant tortoise (Orlitia borneensis). None of the 11 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises present in DSNP are unique to the area, or indeed Borneo. The trade in the Malaysian giant tortoise is local, but the soft-shells caught in DSNP are part of the international trade throughout South-East Asia. An estimated maximum of 50 t of soft-shells cross the Kalimantan - Sarawak border at Lubuk Antu/Badau each year. A large proportion of these turtles come from DSNP and immediate areas. The trade was estimated to be worth up to USD 75 000 to the inhabitants of DSNP.