Turtle Baked in Banana Leaves

Turtles provide some of the most highly prized meat for island feasts. While I do not advocate hunting that contributes to the extinction of any species of these incredible reptiles, on some of the Pacific Islands, the chiefly tapu, or preservation system, is enforced, backed by local, governmental regulation. These systems forbid the harvesting of turtles or their eggs until it is decided that their numbers have again become numerous and sustainable in local waters. This entails the