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 turtlelink
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 aug. 1998 in Qingping 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)  

Chelonian Research Foundation has a newsletter on this topic:

1.  Turtle Survival Crisis
2. Asian Turtle Trade
   

Other Problems in the Rivers and lakes of the US:
click the links