What is native Hawaiian view on eating turtle?

[2liveque]

Chicken of the sea.

Yummmmmy.

[birdmove]

Is it not illegal to kill sea turtles? There's your answer. Either get the law changed, or follow it.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[ElysianWort]

Yes we should follow it (that law).

But is it sin to question and debate it on a social media forum?

[terracore]

quote:

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Originally posted by 2liveque

Chicken of the sea.

Yummmmmy.

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When I was in Alaska I ate sea turtle once. Only the natives were allowed to harvest them and I was offered some cooked turtle by a native to try. I'm not trying to be funny but it really did taste just like chicken.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I'm not trying to be funny but it really did taste just like chicken.

I'm not trying to be funny either, but it you want to eat something that tastes just like chicken, wouldn't it be a lot easier to catch and eat a chicken?

First of all, you don't need to own and operate a boat...

Portion of Hawaii’s drinking water that comes from underground wells : 9/10
Gallons of raw sewage that leak into the ground from Hawaii cesspools each day : 53,000,000 - Harper's Index

[terracore]

Many of the things Alaska Natives eat do so because of cultural significance. I was invited to participate in that culture.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

cultural significance.

Yes, I can appreciate how history and tradition can continue to connect and unify people and their culture. I have also read a fair number of stories which describe cultural practices leading to the extinction of a species, or two, or more, and in some cases even the people of that culture themselves, because it was difficult to see how their actions affected the bigger world around them over an expanse of time longer than their own lifetime.


Then there is the other perspective, that of the turtle as told by Chuang Tzu a few thousand years ago, speaking to someone who had come to ask a simple question, but received some advice on politics, religion, and culture at no extra charge:

Chuang Tzu held his bamboo pole still. Watching the Pu river, he said: “I am told there is a sacred tortoise offered and canonized three thousand years ago,venerated by the prince, wrapped in silk,in a precious shrine on an altar in the temple.

What do you think? Is it better to give up one’s life and leave a sacred shell as an object of cult in a cloud of incense for three thousand years,or to live as a plain turtle dragging its tail in the mud?”


Edited to add:
It's not that ancient wisdom or modern society is capable of offering effective solutions to the world's problems, better than anyone else. Every tribe or nation-state throughout time has been led by wise men and occasionally wise women, as well as short sighted buffoons. The best we can do is learn to recognize the difference.

[MarkD]

I raised same topic on reddit Hawaii. Here is a good post from someone from Maui:

"Protected but with very strictly limited harvesting for cultural purposes.

Program based instead of just buying a permit.

Required classes on traditional Hawaiian fishing practices with focus on methods for capturing honu out at sea and preparation of the carcass for consumption.

Additional lectures on marine conservation practices, honu biology, identification of ideal specimens for capture and consumption, and the importance of protecting the larger honu population for future generations to enjoy.

Exam to demonstrate physical aptitude for traditional fishing methods.

Final project is going out in a canoe and catching a honu the old-fashioned way then preparing it for dinner all while under the oversight of relevant instructors/officials/cultural practitioners. Family and friends are invited to spectate and eat.

You get to do it one time, at least at first. Possible expansion if population growth is strong enough but any permits would be single use and still require successful completion of the program.

No walking up to one on the beach and flipping it over. You wanna eat, you gotta out and work for it.

Eggs are protected, no exceptions. First violation, dominant hand is severed. Second violation, you get tossed off the pali.

At least that's how I would have it done, maybe through UH or something."

- - - -

"Yeah, Mark should ask some native Hawaiians."

That was part of my intention in posting this, being aware that contributions by native Hawaiians on Punatalk are pretty slim.....

[Wailua Boy]

"What is native Hawaiian view on eating turtle?" The general consensus is they are delicious.

[dan d]

Wife says yes please. Its been 2 long, she ate it on oahu all her youth and than on Guam and west Australia longest she has been unable to eat green turtle is here on bi
We swim with them puako allway.s But lick our lips. Tiger sharks #1 menu item
Aloha

Dan D
HPP