Turtle Soup Not on This Wedding Menu
There is a mangrove lined bay at the edge of the Ligaulevu Village on the island of Mali, one evening the locals gathered to watch the odd sight of two turtles being let back into the sea - they are only normally seen coming out of the sea on their way to the dinner table!
This unusual event was a wedding day request for Ligaulevu Village local, Leone Vokai, who has a passion for conservation, especially of the local turtles.
“Young Fijians are travelling and learning new things, gaining more appreciation of the beautiful environment of our country. Some like Leone are taking action personally and encouraging his community to do the same,” observed a cousin of Leone’s.
The two turtles had been caught specifically to be tagged and released back into the sea. Many locals were out to watch the captured turtles return to their native habitat - nobody could remember the last time a captured turtle had not finished off in the cooking pot!
The full story can be found here.
What is your view on turtles… for cooking, or for conservation? Personally I have not tried turtle before, but if it came from a ‘farmed’ environment would be nice to try, especially if you get the shell to eat it from 