THE HOME OF TORTOISE SHELL CRAFTS FADES AWAY

Decorative tortoises are an increasingly rare sight in Ha
Tien shops as resident turn to more lucritive trades.

HANOI - Ha Tien, a sleepy town in the Kien Giang province, has
for centuries been home to many "golden handed" crafts
people who turn tortoise shells into objects of art. But the
traditional art is dying. And many of the crafts people have
been forced to turn to other lines of work.

Mr. Pham Van Than, 73, used to employ five to six highly
skilled workers in his shop, from which he sells many
different kinds of art - earrings, rings, eyeglass frames,
hand-held fans - all produced from the shell of the
tortoise. Years ago, it was difficult for Mr. Than and his
crafts people to keep up with the demand for the products.
It was a seller's market, a craftsperson's dream-come-true.

Today, trade in tortoise shell is clearly on the wane. Mr.
Than's shop no longer bustles and brims with the energy of
dedicated artists. He has had to lay off most of his
workers. His livelihood is now solely dependent upon the
markets of Ho Chi Minh City, whereas before he did business
with customers all over the Asia Pacific region.

What happened? Mr. Than attributes the change in business to
two major factors: a shortage of tortoise shell, resulting
in higher prices; and a change in consumer tastes, perhaps
due to steep rise in price. Ten centimeters of shell
currently costs between VND 1.5 and 3 million.

"Not many people can appreciate the original skills of the
old artists now," notes Mr. Than. And so many of the old
artists - men like Mr. Than-have been forced to say good-bye
to their trade. Slowly the art dwindles.

Mr. Nam Binh, too, is one of the old hands in the tortoise
shell trade. Before the liberation, he caught 30 to 40
tortoises at a time off the shores of Tho Chu Lsland. He
used to collect entire nets of tortoise eggs, which he was
able to sell to the tortoise-rearing farms. Now he works
twice as hard to collect a fraction of the tortoises he used
to catch. He says he has to "fire up" his net these days,
whereas before it was the tortoises which made the sparks
fly.

It is not clear who or what is to blame for the reduced
numbers of tortoises. Everyone is agreed that non-stop
fishing has busied the local waterways, and that the
tortoises have been driven away in search of the
tranquillity they require. It is also clear that the
thriving trade in shells led lo substantial over-harvesting.

But the continued survival is of interest to
conservationists, artisans and just about everyone else who
knows about the issue. Calls are starting to rise from
concerned people who would like to see the waterways
regulated and the tortoises return.

It will take concerted effort from many parties to ensure
the survival of Ha Tien's tortoises; and by extension, Ha
Tien's most notable art. If the trade in tortoises is to
thrive again. it is certain to be under a different, and
more heavily supervised, set of rules than existed bcfore.

But Mr. Than, and Mr. Binh, are ready and willing to help
usher in a brighter, newer future. New rules are fine, - so
long as they help bring in more tortoises. - VNS

Source: Vietnam News No.1313 31 March 1995 p.3.