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Reunion Island fauna " the turtles of the CORAIL Farm ":
The cattle ranch of terrestrial turtles is a secular tradition in the Reunion island. In certain places, are living turtles more than on hundred years old.
La cría.
The operation would be more or less a good business but it CITES (Convention International Trade of Endangered Species) a convention of Washington is against selling of species in via of disappearance as it is the green turtle. No longer the products removed from the turtle can be sold localy or in the Metropoli . The first installation of this type is in the Caymas islands, in the English Antilles, in 1968. This cattle ranch considered, in addition of the fattening one of the turtles of sea, the reproduction in captivity. that it had been made successfully in the Caymans could be it in the Reunion Island.
«Corail» in St Leu.
In 1977 CORAIL is born, Companie Réunionaise d' Aquaculture et d'Industries du Littoral. At the same time that progresses all administrative and financial steps, the money of the future farm of turtles also was hard to have. The parameters are " relatively " simples: the farm must be located in the warmest zone of the island, in lands to borders of the sea, and where is a coralline barrier, the one that not only assures the permanence a hot water, but it even raises to a very good protection against strong surges and tidal waves in cyclonal periods.
Marinette the turtle.
The first young turltes arrived from the Europe island (Tromelin is at the moment let as a reserve in the middle of year 1978). Millions of eggs of turtles are born every year in the Europe island. It is known now that most of these animals does not survive: only the turtles been born at night could survive.
The action of collecting eggs of turtles only that are born by day and that would not have any hope of survival. The turtles that weigh 25 grams to the birth, are nourished with special food. After six months, the " babies " turtles have multiplied their weight by 40: up to a kilo. After three years they will weigh between 30 and 50 kilos, the turtles arrive at the sexual maturity between 6 and 8 years.
The turtles like raw material.
It is that the turtle even more than the pig is a " complete animal ", it can be used in totality. It provides 35% of his weight in meat without fat and bones. Cartilago of the boby is used in the famous soup of turtle. The protective fat of the turtle, transformed into oil, serves in cosmetic. And it is also the base of crafts of fine leather artcrafts. The shell finally, that does not represent more of 1% of the gross weight, is a semiprecious matter very appraised in marquetery and the manufacture of pieces of luxury fashion parts.
Reconvertion of the CORAIL farm
Now, killing the turtles is prohibited, and then CORAIL became a study and information center on the turtles. In the center are living now two species of terrestrial turtles, and the two species of marine turtles that frequent waters of the Reunion Island: the "honest" turtle and the turtle "coil". The place also has one " place of the scientists ". studies of the migrations of the adults thanks to Argos pursuit , putting in evidence and distribution of regional subpopulations by DNA analysis, census of the populations by marking, or also study of the reproduction and the incubation in the wild middle controlled and protection of putting places.
File by
LOPEZ Aude 3°9
DAMBREVILLE Frédérique 3°9
BODZEN Aurélie 3°9
ATCHY Florence 3°1
