While many people are trying to take care of there
turtles as good or as bad as they can, many don't know, or
want to know, that in some county's turtles are being eaten. Turtles are favored
for their supposed medicinal value. For some it's a daily income, selling these
animals or killing with no respect for the animal what so ever.
Some of the turtles that we can see on the picture's aren't from China at all,
but imported. Most turtle that are present on the markets aren't native at
all, but from other country's. Because off the high demand in China for turtles, they are being imported from
countries as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Nepal and the US. Now that
the red eared sliders are not allowed in Europe anymore they will be exported
even more to Asia and, get a place on a Chinese market. Soon some turtles
will be extinct because of these markets if nothing is done to stop this. Talk
about protecting turtles is useless if this kind of trade is allowed. Unlike sea
turtles, freshwater turtles are not so well protected.
Conservation trade laws must be enforced and talks with China and other
nations about the problem should be promoted.
U.S. agencies should substantially increase regulations on the trade of
freshwater turtles.
Conservation groups should develop turtle conservation strategies.
The turtles we can see are on list 2 of the Washington convention. One of them
(The large turtles in the center of the pic.)
-Podocnemis species-
also on the picture are Cuora species. Other turtles can not be identified but
there are other turtles big and small that are not on this picture and are sold
daily for food consumption. The man uses his stick to hit the animals if they
move to much or if they try to put out there head or escape. This is only one of
many turtle sellers on this market. This happens throughout China, where
many tons per day are killed.
1. The man uses his stick to hit turtles that try to
escape or just even put out there heads out of there Schell.
2. The man smoking his cigarette is waiting on his next
customer. The hammer in his hand is used for killing the turtles
3. More turtles behind the cages are waiting to be killed and
eaten.
Pictures courtesy of
turtle link
a special thanks to Kristine for picture 2&3
Picture 1 was taken in Guangzhou city market in March 1999
Guangzhou Province China
Pictures 2&3 where taken in ague. 1998 in Singing market
If you want to react to this picture email
me
Not only china is
eating its turtles Now the US is doing the same
(click the link)