Scores of turtle species are under threat from poaching
. The plight of turtles is expected to get plenty of attention at a wildlife trade conference in Panama in November. PROVIDENCE, R.I. — — Swimming in two plastic bins inside a brightly lit and sterile quarantine room at a Rhode Island zoo, 16 quarter-sized turtle hatchlings represent a growing worry for conservationist Lou Perrotti., known for spending much of their lives in swamps and ponds and emitting a foul smell when threatened, were confiscated recently in a wildlife bust.
Among the world's most trafficked animals, freshwater turtles are targeted by criminal networks that connect with buyers on the internet then transport the reptiles to black markets in Hong Kong and other Asian cities. From there, they are sold as pets, to collectors and for commercial breeding, food and traditional medicine. In many countries, trade is poorly regulated or not regulated at all.
Since 2018, the Collaborative to Combat the Illegal Trade in Turtles — an organization of mostly state, federal and tribal biologists who combat poaching of North American turtles — has documented at least 30 major smuggling cases in 15 states. Some involved a few dozen turtles, others several thousand.
In 2021, a Chinese national was sentenced to 38 months in prison and fined $10,000 for money laundering after previously pleading guilty to financing a nationwide smuggling ring that sent 1,500 turtles worth more than $2.2 million from the U.S. to China. “We think that’s really, really important just because of the trends that we’ve seen over the past couple of decades in international reptile and particularly turtle trade,” said U.S. Department of the Interior’s Matthew Strickler, who will head the American delegation at CITES.
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