PRWeb January 10, 2017 2:12pm
According
to authors of a new study in Chelonian Conservation and Biology, trade
of wild turtles reached a peak in the early 2000s. This trade is
somewhat regulated, however, the sale of millions of these animals poses
a large problem for the survival of these species in the wild.
Full
text of the article "A Short Review of the International Trade of Wild
Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Across the World and Throughout Two
Decades," Chelonian Conservation and Biology, Vol. 15, No. 2, 2016, is
now available at http://www.chelonianjournals.org/toc/ccab/15/2
Lawrence, Kansas (PRWEB) January 10, 2017-Chelonian Conservation and Biology
– When it comes to pets, only birds outpace reptiles in terms of the
number of species sold worldwide. Many of these reptiles, including
tortoises and freshwater turtles, are taken from their natural habitats
for use in international trade. While this trade is regulated to a
degree, the sale of millions of these captured animals still occurs and
is a large threat to the survival of these species in the wild.
Authors of an article
in the current issue of Chelonian Conservation and Biology analyzed 20
years of data on the international turtle trade, spanning from 1990 to
2010, and found that trade of wild turtles and tortoises for pets and
food reached a peak in the early 2000s, particularly in Asian countries,
followed then by a significant decrease. The study also reports that
the United States is among the top three exporting countries of wild
turtles and tortoises, and is the number one importer of these animals.
In fact, most importers reside in North America or Europe where breeding
conditions are most ideal.
The
authors looked at information from the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade
database, which accounts for all declared records of legal import and
export of wild species. Because sea turtles are banned from commercial
trade, the study focused on wild imports of freshwater turtles and
tortoises. While 48 species are part of the regular wild turtle and
tortoise trade, more than 100 others are traded intermittently, with 90
percent of the animals coming from four families of softshell turtles.
The
authors found that about 2 million wild turtles and tortoises were
traded over a 20-year period, a number they consider conservative, with
annual trade numbers tripling in that time. "Turtles and tortoises
represent a conspicuous target for the international pet trade," said
lead author Luca Luiselli. "South America and tropical Asia represent
the main export continents, and several species are of conservation
concern because of this trade.”
The
study confirmed large international trade of wild turtles and
tortoises, with numbers varying widely among different regions of the
world. What the authors do not know is whether CITES regulation has
reduced trading in Asia or whether the wild populations have collapsed.
"[Talking] about losing millions of turtles from the wild," said
Chelonian Conservation and Biology editor Jeff Seminoff, "it's pretty
amazing that populations are able to persist at all.”
Full
text of the article "A Short Review of the International Trade of Wild
Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Across the World and Throughout Two
Decades," Chelonian Conservation and Biology, Vol. 15, No. 2, 2016, is
now available at http://www.chelonianjournals.org/toc/ccab/15/2.
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