Overconsumption of Turtles Contributes
to Their Demise

By Dr.Teresa Telecky,
Humane Society of the United States

This rare big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) at a rescue center in Vietnam was spared the Asian food market. Adam M. Roberts/AWI

They have survived for more than 200 million years on Earth, but what can be done to help freshwater turtles and tortoises make it through another century? CITES Parties have been considering this question for the past few years. Since July 1999, CITES has been examining one of the main threats to the continued existence of Asian tortoises and freshwater turtles: the international trade for food and medicines.

Every year, thousands of tons of live turtles collected throughout Southeast Asia are shipped to China where they are eaten. Caught on fishing lines, dragged out of streams, and dumped on top of one another into boxes with no food or water, the turtles are transported by truck over land for hundreds of miles to reach their destinations. The turtles are kept alive because consumers want meat and other tissues that are "fresh."

Turtles have been consumed for centuries in China. Until recently, China's markets featured native species, but with increasing domestic wealth, more people can afford to purchase turtles. This growing demand has already caused populations of China's turtles to become depleted in the wild. Now, the markets no longer consist only of species found in China, but contain animals from all over Asia and, increasingly, even North America. Trappers who supply this Asian market are vacuuming up turtles from increasingly distant lands, moving on to other areas when one area becomes depleted.

Turtles and tortoises are particularly susceptible to over-exploitation because they are slow-growing, have delayed sexual maturity, and have low survival of eggs and young. The trade focuses on the larger, sexually mature animals who are the source of future turtle generations.

For some of the species in trade, nothing is known about their wild populations. Tragically, some species have been discovered for the first time in live animal markets in China, yet never described in the wild. Others, such as the roofed turtles of India, have already decreased by 90% in just the last decade.

CITES' efforts culminated in a technical workshop on trade in freshwater turtles and tortoises in Asia, which was held in China in March 2002. The workshop was attended by representatives from twelve Asian countries, including all the main countries involved in the trade. The workshop resulted in the development of a large number of recommendations about how to better control trade by improving the way in which policies and laws address the trade in freshwater turtles and tortoises and enhancing enforcement of existing laws; improving conservation and management measures directed at the species; and ensuring adequate training of and assistance to government officials responsible for implementing and enforcing laws and policies. The workshop also recommended that twelve species of Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises be listed on CITES Appendix II.

The results of the workshop, as well as proposals to list these species, will be considered at the Santiago meeting. Turtles use their shells for protection; now CITES Parties have an opportunity to add another layer of protection to the big-headed turtle, Annam pond turtle, Yellow-headed temple turtle, and many others. Without additional international protection, the world's plate may be wiped clean of these precious turtle treasures.