by Julie Hauserman
Hunters will no longer be able to snag thousands of wild Florida freshwater turtles and sell them to feed growing world markets for turtle meat and body parts, thanks to a new state hunting ban.
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Florida's new ruling will stop the fresh water turtle population from being decimated.© Kurt Buhlmann |
On June 17, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously voted in favor of a rule that will end commercial hunting of Florida’s freshwater turtles and allow individuals to take one turtle per day.
The commission’s strong action came after considerable public outcry about the wild turtle hunt, including calls and emails from members of The Humane Society of the United States. Gov. Charlie Crist led the charge in November 2008, when he wrote a letter to the commissioners asking for a ban to protect the turtles.
“It is heartening to see Florida's leaders show such stewardship for wildlife,” said Jen Hobgood, the HSUS Florida state director. “The new rule may save the day for Florida’s turtles captured in alarming numbers to be shipped overseas and butchered.”
Florida supports one of the two largest centers of diversity of turtles in the world, with all of the more than two dozen species playing integral roles in a multitude of ecosystems.
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The turtles are snared when they bite the baited hooks.© Buhlmann |
The HSUS remains concerned that the state will still allow turtles to be removed from the wild for breeding stock at turtle farming operations and hopes this issue can be addressed to assure full protection for the state’s magnificent and varied wild turtle population.
Florida’s rule is among the strongest in the United States, and it comes in the nick of time: the scale of hunting was dramatically accelerating. Just last year, one pair of hunters in North Florida was spotted reeling in lines with 5,000 hooks that stretched for five miles along a river bottom.
The capture can be especially cruel. Turtles swim down, bite the bait, and get snagged on the hooks, where they are often pinned underwater until the hunters come back to check the lines.
What You Can Do
Please take a moment to call, email, and or write to Florida Governor Charlie Crist and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to thank them for acting to protect freshwater turtles.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Farris Bryant Building
620 S. Meridian St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
(850) 488-4676
Commissioners@MyFWC.com
Office of Governor Charlie Crist
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
(850) 488-7146
Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
