Turtling is the hunting of turtles. Turtling has been a part of human culture since as far back as the middle of the first millennium BC, where sea turtles such as the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) were eaten as delicacies in countries such as China. [1] While consumption and hunting of turtles is less common than it was in the past, this practice is still a part of communities throughout the globe, whether done legally or illegally.
In Melanesian societies, it was common during funeral ceremonies, for locals to partake in a feast of turtle meat and other delicacies. The deceased were sealed into a tomb, and several years later it was tradition to reopen the tomb and to indulge once more on turtle meat. Because turtle meat was relatively rare, hunting the turtle for others during this time was considered to be a display of public generosity. While turtle hunting within this culture is not as common as it was decades ago, locals on Murray Island, Australia, continue to hunt green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) during the turtle mating season. The turtles are pursued by groups of 3-6 hunters, where a leader, around one decade older than the other members of the group, uses a harpoon to kill the 100–150 kg turtle. [2]
Ecological research shows that turtle numbers decline with proximity to human settlements. This can be explained directly due to the hunting of turtles, or also indirectly with the ecology of fear principle, predation. [3]
While there are several turtle species at risk, the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), which made the IUCU endangered animals list in 1996, and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) which has been experiencing a decline in numbers, are both still being hunted or killed due to human impact. [4] Another turtle species that can be hunted (not commercially) while considered as special concern at the Canadian and Ontarian level is the snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentin). [5] Hawksbill sea turtles have been hunted for their shells primarily to make jewelry. [6] Tourists will often buy items without being informed of the source of the material. Green sea turtles eggs are poached and eaten in many countries; this is also a tourist attraction and taking sea turtle shots, consuming raw turtle egg with whiskey or beer is popular in places like Costa Rica. [7]
Capturing turtles as a byproduct of fishing has been recognized as a severe threat to turtle populations. [8] It has been acknowledged that fishing nets are the most devastating of fishing equipment to turtles, whether turtles are hunted intentionally or not. [9]
In Australia it is estimated that 326 turtles from 6 different species, including the flatback sea turtle (Narator depressa) accounting for 59% of captures, and the hawksbill sea turtle accounting for 5%, were captured between 1989 and 1990. [8]
With a coast line of approximately 30,000 km, it is evident that Africa relies greatly on the fishing industry to feed the people and also as a trade product between other countries. [10] It is estimated that in Africa, an average of 180 turtles are caught per year using fishing hooks alone. Capture rate of turtles using a standard fishing hook is approximately 16 in 100,000. A sixteenth of the captured turtles are leatherback sea turtles, a species of turtle in which population numbers are declining. Conservation ecologists have estimated that should fishing efforts increase and fishing distribution remain the same, these numbers will increase to 770 turtles per year, threatening risked species of turtle. [11]
The radiated tortoise (Geochelone radiata) in Madagascar is in serious decline due to over-exploitation. The tortoise is protected under Malagasy law and is part of CITES, however enforcement is low and hunting persists. [12] Guards that are meant to protect the tortoise and prevent hunting are often paid off by the hunters.
In Mexico sea turtles have been used for medicine, food and decoration since the 13th century. While hunting turtles is strictly forbidden in Mexico, approximately 35,000 turtles have been poached per year within the last decade around Baja California Sur. An estimated 65% of captured turtles are thought to be green sea turtles, while 10% consist of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle. The most common way poachers capture turtles is using a net designed specifically for turtles, which costs around $660. The majority of the poachers are local fisherman, who earn approximately US$78 per week. The turtles are sold locally, or reach the international black market where they fetch a profit of US$58 per turtle. [13]
The maximum punishment in Mexico for the poaching of turtles is nine years in jail and a fine of US$11,000. Poachers told researchers that the most efficient way of avoiding being caught is to either physically avoid patrols by driving away from them, or by paying a bribe. [13]
Both the American and Canadian governments regulate the consumption, hunting and destruction of turtles and their eggs. [14]
In Canada, it is illegal to hunt or kill turtles in most provinces. Ontario allowed snapping turtle hunting as recently as 2016, but that was discontinued in 2017. [15] [16]
In the US, some states have imposed bans on collecting turtles from the wild, including for their meat. [17]
Turtle hunting in New York State regulates two species of turtles, the diamondback terrapin and the snapping turtle. Snapping turtles are allowed to be hunted only between July 15 and September 30. A small game hunting license is required to hunt the turtle, and it is mandated that the turtle shell must be 12 inches long, or longer in a straight line. Turtles must be killed with a bow or firearm, and there is a limit of 30 turtles per year. Because of risk of food-borne contaminants, health advisories have been implemented with specific cooking instructions for public health. [18]
Similarly to regulation of snapping turtles, diamondback terrapin turtles are only allowed to be hunted during specific months of the year. The hunting season for diamondback terrapin turtles is from August 1 to April 30. In order to hunt diamondback terrapins, individuals must possess a hunting license specific to the species of turtle. Shells must be between 4 and 7 inches long, and must be released if the shell size is any different. Diamondback terrapin turtles must be captured by dip nets, seine nets, by hand or with a trap that must be checked on a daily basis. [18]
One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome with the hunting and poaching of sea turtles is the cultural aspect. Many countries, such as Costa Rica, have been hunting and eating sea turtles and sea turtle eggs for a very long time and consider it to be part of their culture. When scientists and conservationists try to explain to native poachers the detrimental impact their actions have on sea turtle populations, or when walking nightly patrols on the beach, they are met with hostility and sometimes violence. [19] Continuous education and outreach is important to mitigating the issue, in addition to beach patrols to prevent poachers from taking eggs or nesting female turtles. Implementing laws that protect animals, such as the radiated tortoise in Madagascar, can help population levels if proper enforcement is in place. [12]
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira and Cryptodira, which differ in the way the head retracts. There are 360 living and recently extinct species of turtles, including land-dwelling tortoises and freshwater terrapins. They are found on most continents, some islands and, in the case of sea turtles, much of the ocean. Like other amniotes they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water.
Tortoises are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines. Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like other members of the suborder Cryptodira, they retract their necks and heads directly backward into the shell to protect them.
Sea turtles, sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley. Six of the seven sea turtle species, all but the flatback, are present in U.S. waters, and are listed as endangered and/or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. All but the flatback turtle are listed as threatened with extinction globally on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The flatback turtle is found only in the waters of Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.
Cheloniidae is a family of typically large marine turtles that are characterised by their common traits such as, having a flat streamlined wide and rounded shell and almost paddle-like flippers for their forelimbs. They are the only sea turtles to have stronger front limbs than back limbs. The six species that make up this family are: the green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, flatback sea turtle and the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin is a species of terrapin native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico coast, as well as in Bermuda. It belongs to the monotypic genus Malaclemys. It has one of the largest ranges of all turtles in North America, stretching as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Cod.
Corcovado National Park is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula, in Osa Canton, located on the southwestern regions of Costa Rica, which is a part of the Osa Conservation Area. Corcovado National Park was established on October 24, 1975 and occupies an area of 424 square kilometres (164 sq mi). It is currently the largest park in Costa Rica and extends over about a third of the Osa Peninsula.
Barra del Parismina is a village of about 500 people located on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, at the mouth of the Reventazón River. Parismina is about halfway between Tortuguero and Limón on the Tortuguero canals. There is no road to Parismina; it is accessible only by boat or plane and while some cars and motorcycles exist within the village, the paved surface is the runway. Parismina is part of the Canton of Siquirres in the Limón Province. Eco-tourism and sport fishing are the foundation of the village economy.
The radiated tortoise is a tortoise species in the family Testudinidae. Although this species is native to and most abundant in southern Madagascar, it can also be found in the rest of this island, and has been introduced to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius. It is a very long-lived species, with recorded lifespans of up to 188 years. These tortoises are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, mainly because of the destruction of their habitat and because of poaching.
The Galápagos tortoise or Galápagos giant tortoise is a very large species of tortoise in the genus Chelonoidis. The species comprises 15 subspecies. It is the largest living species of tortoise, and can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lb). They are also the largest extant terrestrial cold-blooded animals (ectotherms).
The painted terrapin, painted batagur, or saw-jawed turtle is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae. It was formerly in its own genus, Callagur, but has been reclassified to the genus, Batagur.
Chan Eng Heng is a Malaysian turtle conservationist. She is a retired professor from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu,who has been recognised by the United Nations Environment Program for her efforts to protect sea turtles.
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a global distribution that is largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems.
Threats to sea turtles are numerous and have caused many sea turtle species to be endangered. Of the seven extant species of sea turtles, six in the family Cheloniidae and one in the family Dermochelyidae, all are listed on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. The list classifies six species of sea turtle as "threatened", two of them as "critically endangered", one as "endangered" and three as "vulnerable". The flatback sea turtle is classified as "data deficient" which means that there is insufficient information available for a proper assessment of conservation status. Although sea turtles usually lay around one hundred eggs at a time, on average only one of the eggs from the nest will survive to adulthood. While many of the things that endanger these hatchlings are natural, such as predators including sharks, raccoons, foxes, and seagulls, many new threats to the sea turtle species are anthropogenic.
Sea Turtles 911 is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of sea turtles. The organization was formed in Hawaii, in the United States, and operates primarily on Hainan island, China. The organization directs actions towards public education, policy change through government and academic sources, support of conservation-focused ecotourism, and the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of endangered sea turtles.
The angonoka tortoise is a critically endangered species of tortoise severely threatened by poaching for the illegal pet trade. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is also known as the angonoka, ploughshare tortoise, Madagascar tortoise, or Madagascar angulated tortoise. There may be fewer than 400 of these tortoises left in the wild. It is found only in the dry forests of the Baly Bay area of northwestern Madagascar, near the town of Soalala. A captive-breeding facility was established in 1986 by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in collaboration with the Water and Forests Department. In 1996, 75 tortoises were stolen, which later appeared for sale in the Netherlands. The project was ultimately successful, achieving 224 captive-bred juveniles out of 17 adults in 2004. Project Angonoka developed conservation plans that involved local communities making firebreaks, along with the creation of a park to protect the tortoise and the forests. Monitoring of the angonoka tortoise in the global pet trade has also continued to be advocated.
Asociación Salvemos las Tortugas de Parismina (Spanish), is a community-based, non profit, conservation organization based in Parismina, Costa Rica, dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their eggs from poaching while initiating sustainable development and providing a viable alternative economy to poaching in the village.
Many species are affected by poaching, including illegal hunting, fishing and capturing of wild animals, and, in a recent usage, the illegal harvesting of wild plant species. The article provides an overview of species currently endangered or impaired by poaching in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and South-East Asia.
Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in shrimp trawl nets, on longline hooks and in fishing gill-nets. Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught. Loggerhead and hawksbill turtles are particularly vulnerable. Nearly all species of sea turtle are classified as Endangered. They are killed for their eggs, meat, skin and shells. They also face habitat destruction. Climate change has an impact on turtle nesting sites. As fishing activity expands, this threat is more of a problem.
Kalyar Platt is a Burmese herpetologist and turtle conservationist. She is the director of the Myanmar Program of the Turtle Survival Alliance and oversees conservation, breeding and reintroduction projects for some of Southeast Asia's rarest turtle species. She formerly worked for Wildlife Conservation Society and earned her PhD from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University in 2007.