Tongans eat turtle meat again after killing ban lifted
Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 11:26
Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 11:26 Turtle meat as a delicacy is becoming very popular again, not only on the outer islands of Tonga but also on the main island of Tongatapu. These turtles were pictured at Ha'afeva, Ha'apai, last week as they were being loaded onto the MV Pulupaki for shipment to consumers in Ma'ufanga and Puke on Tongatapu.
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We need to eat turtle meat -
We need to eat turtle meat - S. Vaiangina:
It seems to me that everything we do in Tonga is bound to be scrutinised by other countries or organisations. Our Ministry of Fisheries has lifted the ban on hunting turtles, yet we have been critized for that.
Radio New Zealand International reported that the “World Society for the Protection of Animals is appalled”. Radio Australia on the other hand reports “The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has criticised Tonga for lifting a ban on turtle hunting”.
WASPA New Zealand manager Kimberley Muncaster was reported as saying that turtle species experience extreme torture and pain when caught. What a very childish excuse to criticise Tonga. So it's only when a small island like Tonga kills turtles that it becomes torture. What happens to sheep, cows and chickens. Oh! maybe turtles have souls and others don't. The WWF, why don't you pick on your own size. Why, because you couldn't stop Japan from hunting Whales, you pick on a smaller country?
The Tongan Fisheries Ministry has set a restriction on the size of turtles to be hunted to make sure that survival of the species. I hope that Tonga will never give in to those organisations who are trying to bully us. We need the turtle meat as it is more healthier than the no souls chicken, sipi (mutton flaps) and the pulu ngako. I hope that one day the ban on whale hunting will be lifted also. Tongans need healthy meat to fight the growing health problem in the country. I suggest we do it the Japanese way, we hunt whales for scientific research. When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He did not say, “Don't eat turtle meat because turtles experience torture and pain when caught”.
Faka'apa'apa atu - S. Vaiangina (Hull, UK)