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Thread: Asian turtle crisis

  1. #1
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    Asian turtle crisis

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    Cheung, SM & D Dudgeon, 2006. Quantifying the Asian turtle crisis: market surveys in southern China, 2000-2003. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 16: 751–770.

    Abstract

    1. A total of 950 251 individuals of 157 turtle species were recorded during a 35-month survey of the turtle trade in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, southern China. All but two of the 157 species were encountered in Hong Kong; Guangzhou ranked second in diversity (113 species) and Shenzhen third (89 species). Together, these turtles made up around 60% of the global chelonian fauna; 124 (80%) of them were freshwater turtles.
    2. Seventy-two globally threatened species were traded in southern China during the survey: 13 classified by the IUCN as critically endangered (CE), 29 as endangered (EN), and 30 as vulnerable (VU). Thirteen species listed on CITES Appendix I and 64 species on Appendix II, as well as eight species nationally protected in China, were traded.
    3. The majority of species traded had natural ranges that included China and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, or Southeast Asian countries other than China. These non-Chinese Asian turtles (primarily Bataguridae) constituted around two-thirds of the 77 species in the food trade, and turtles sold as food accounted for 73% of individuals encountered during the survey. Most species sold as food were also traded as traditional Chinese medicine, and nearly all turtles (155 of 157 species) were sold as pets. Eighty-one species were traded only as pets.
    4. Large numbers of Cuora galbinifrons (CE; CITES-II) were traded (>15 000 individuals) and even greater quantities (>210 000 individuals) of C. amboinensis (VU; CITES-II), as were significant numbers of other CR, EN and VU batagurids. Observed levels of exploitation of wild populations appeared unsustainable.
    5. Enforcement of relevant CITES regulations during the survey seemed limited and globally threatened Asian species remained in trade in Hong Kong without the relevant licences. Trade within China is not subject to CITES, but could be regulated by enforcement of existing national laws and expansion of protected-species lists.
    HH

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    In short, appetites in China are eating the world's turtles (the paper refers to freshwater turtles and land species aka tortoises) into extinction.

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    Actually nowadays the locals consume red ear slider most, then Chinemys reevesii and then Ocadia sinensis, both snapping turtles are also bred in good quantity too. Wild caught ones often consumed now are Malayan box, then Morenia ocellata then Indotestudo elongata. The rest are really minority.

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    i think they should eat all the Red eard sliders in singapore..

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    I can imagine that at some point, the economics and supply issues (declining supply of wild caughts perhaps) makes it tenable for suppliers to start farming some of these species..... but the fact that the red ear sliders are accepted as well... (along with the assortment of other species).. seems to indicated that typical turtle consumers/buyers don't really care.. as long as it has a shell and meat... one turtle (whether endangered or farmed) is as good as another....

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    All they suppliers and retailers need to do is come up with some sort of gimmick, red ears > red head > red > prosperous > brain food > make you a better businessman. And bam! problem solved. Clueless consumers are happy and the more endangered species instantly become "low quality"

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    Quote Originally Posted by budak View Post
    I can imagine that at some point, the economics and supply issues (declining supply of wild caughts perhaps) makes it tenable for suppliers to start farming some of these species..... but the fact that the red ear sliders are accepted as well... (along with the assortment of other species).. seems to indicated that typical turtle consumers/buyers don't really care.. as long as it has a shell and meat... one turtle (whether endangered or farmed) is as good as another....

    Yup, with exception of Coura trifasciata, most are bred now too, but numbers are very low. An adult turtle can easily a few K dollars(SGD).

    Most of the Turtle Shell Jelly, change the cover to red ear sliders liao. Those sold in super market ones are 100% red ear sliders too.

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