-
-
100 Hawksbill turtles die in latest Filipino poaching incident
Foreign poaching of Philippines marine life has flared up as an issue again following the discovery of more than 100 dead Hawksbill turtles aboard a Vietnamese fishing vessel apprehended near Malampaya.
The fishing boat’s 13-man crew flooded their vessel as a Filipino gunboat approached them near the country’s main gas field, around 80km off the coast of Palawan Island in the South China Sea. A total of 101 Hawksbill turtles were found drowned in the vessel’s cargo hold.Â
Resting sea turtles, which grow up to a metre in length and can weigh as much as 80kg, can remain submerged for up to two hours but stressed individuals must resurface every few minutes.
“Again and again, foreign nationals have encroached upon Philippine waters to plunder our nation’s dwindling marine resources,” said WWF Project Manager RJ de la Calzada. “It disheartens us to find the animals we work so hard to conserve slaughtered on a wholesale basis.”
Distinguished from other sea turtles by a hooked beak and heavily-serrated carapace, the Hawksbill has for millennia been hunted for food and tortoiseshell, a material used as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman times to fashion jewellery, combs and brushes.Â
The Hawksbill turtle is protected under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which prohibits all international trade. It is also now classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered, the highest risk rating for a living animal. Under Philippine and international law it is illegal to capture and kill sea turtles and to trade in turtle by-products.
The 13 Vietnamese poachers are just the latest in a long line to have intruded upon Philippine waters, violating both local and international laws. Last year over 200 Green turtles were retrieved in the Sulu Sea and two years ago 359 CITES-protected Napoleon or Humphead Wrasse were seized. Foreign poaching of Philippines marine life has flared up as an issue again following the discovery of more than 100 dead Hawksbill tu... more -
Fishing Technology Letting Turtles Off the Hook
Alternative fishing technology has been shown to save turtles while not affecting fish catches, according to a report released by WWF and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
The report demonstrates how changing from the classic J hook to circular hooks, providing adequate training and tools to release turtles accidentally hooked and enhancing sustainable fishing practices, can dramatically reduce incidental catch (bycatch) of marine turtles without impacting fishing activity.
Data gathered showed an overall significant trend of bycatch reduction, with a reduction of up to 89 per cent in the marine turtle bycatch per thousand hooks. Ninety-five per cent of all turtles caught in long-line fishing were recovered alive, while circle hooks performed as well as J hooks in the catch rates of tuna, billfishes and sharks fishery. Alternative fishing technology has been shown to save turtles while not affecting fish catches, according to a report released by WWF ... more -
Two-headed turtle stolen from Brooklyn pet store!
Turtlenapped!
A cruel thief swiped Brooklyn's two-headed turtle between 11 a.m. and noon Sunday from a window tank at a Windsor Terrace pet store while the owner was with a customer.
RELATED: BROOKLYN PET STORE HAS TURTLE THAT CAN DISAGREE WITH ITSELF
Sean Casey, owner of the Hamilton Dog House on E. Third St., said it's crucial that he get the turtle back fast because it requires special handling.
For example, each head has to be fed by hand because otherwise they fight over food. Also, they have to be kept in a tank with shallow water because if it flips over - it could drown.
"We hope whoever has him will come forward," Casey said Monday. "We'll take the turtle back no questions asked. We want to make sure he gets everything he needs."
Casey said he didn't realize the turtle was missing until a customer asked him, "Hey, where's your turtle?"
"I was shocked," he said. "He was not up for adoption. He was sort of like a mascot."
Casey said he left the turtle out in the open "so that the kids could interact with him. It was right in front of the store."
The 27-year-old animal lover said he realized it's not every day that somebody gets to see a two-headed turtle, but he didn't think anybody would rip off the reptile.
"I grew up in the neighborhood and I know most of the people here," he said. "I did not expect it in this neighborhood."
Casey said disbelieving cops at first thought he pulling their leg when he called the precinct to report the theft.
Now that the law is on the case, he's raising reward money. He said the turtle is worth about $50.
Casey got the turtle from a man in Florida who rescued a bunch of eggs after an adult female was killed by a car a year ago.
About four months ago, the turtle started to deteriorate and the man turned to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, a nonprofit in Kensington specializing in exotic creatures.
Casey nursed it back to health at home, then brought the tank to his pet store. He still hasn't named the turtle.
Two-headed turtles are extremely rare. Turtlenapped! ... more -
Let Goliath go free!| Turtle tortured then slaughtered
From the Pensacola News Journal:
http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/...
There doesn't seem to be much that can be done officially to force the release of a 100-pound snapping turtle fished from the Escambia River last week.
We can only hope public pressure will lead to its release by the Jay family that caught and is holding it.
It is sad that this large, old turtle likely more than 15 years old, can be valued by some mainly for its status as trophy to be hung on a wall. It is a mark of how alienated from nature our society is that people find value in destroying, not protecting, such a creature.
As for reputed plans by the family to create a "sanctuary" for the animal, it had everything it needed in the river it was plucked from.
The animal's status with the State of Florida, a 'Species of Special Concern' affords it only limited protection. An individual can only possess one, and it can't be sold.
But that status is based on the fact snapping turtles are in danger of becoming a threatened species, in part due to the risk of human exploitation.
However, state officials have issued a warning letter for violation of a caging requirement, and advised the Phillips family to either correct the problem or return the turtle, alive, to the river.
We urge the Phillips family to comply and set the turtle free.
********************************************************************************************************
HOW HORRIBLE!
The Phillips family even named the poor turtle! I live in this area & this is a disgrace. I am disgusted at the treatment of animals (both domesticated & wildlife) that takes place here. This entire family (which will probably reproduce) is a stain on what it means to be human.
2 comments made to the editor of the PNJ worth posting...
"PNJ failed to mention several items:
Another local newspaper was contacted first about this story and refused to publish it due to the possible exploitation. It appeared the family was interested in garnering publicity and funds and was in fact using public sympathy for the turtle to try to get money.
Secondly, Phillips has a record for wildlife violations as recent as May for possession of a migratory bird or "parts" of a migratory bird and going back for years to hunting at night with a light for turkey and deer. He also has a list of arrests several pages long for numerous crimes, including domestic violence and child abuse.
Finally, the News Journal did a great disservice by participating in the exploitation of this animal while photographing the turtle at the home of the family. Photographers and reporters stood by and watched as the animal was abused with sticks for the purpose of "great photos."
Great job PNJ. You could probably get a "great shot" of them eating a Bald Eagle..."
"I am almost at a loss for words. I did call and cancel my subscription to the PNJ, as I hold them partially responsable for Goliath's fate. Others may wish to do the same. The online photo's were disgusting!
Florida Fish and Wildfile should be ashamed, as should we all. Once again humans prove their true nature. I totally agree with the posts regarding the family being in dire straits and yet have the money to spend $500. to have Goliath stuffed." From the Pensacola News Journal: http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/... ... more -
Malaysia's fight to save rare turtle
The BBC's Robin Brant looks at Malaysia's efforts to save one of the world's most endangered marine animals, the hawksbill turtle, from the humans who eat its eggs.
She is only a few centimetres long and she is covered in specks of sand. Her eyes are barely open. Born in captivity, the next few hours are going to be hectic for this baby hawksbill turtle. Hatched from ping-pong ball-sized eggs, the turtles break through the sand that covers their nest.
As they scurry around a man from the hatchery plucks them out, counts them, then gently drops them into a white polystyrene box for the short trip to the beach. He finds a spot, a few metres from where the waves are lapping up on to the sand. Slowly, he turns the box on its side. Then, with a torch, he uses the light to lure the turtles out towards the waters of the Straits of Melaka off the western Malaysian coast.
The straits and the Indian Ocean beyond await them. But most will die young. The survival rate is atrocious - only 1 in 1,000 will make it from egg to adulthood. "The outlook...particularly with Malaysia, with regard to the lack of conservation efforts, is not good at all," says Mark Aluyia from the illegal trade monitoring group Traffic. "There is a distinct decline to be observed."
...
For centuries locals have consumed the eggs as a delicacy, or simply as a source of protein. The Fisheries Department said it still happened in this part of Malaysia, but that it was rare. "Of course there are maybe one or two...but it is getting less now," said Robert Leong of the department. But that is not what those working on the conservation effort say. An expert at an organisation working in Malaysia said that it estimated one in three eggs were stolen from nests for consumption. It used to be as high as one in two.
(continued at link w/ video) The BBC's Robin Brant looks at Malaysia's efforts to save one of the world's most endangered marine animals, the hawksb... more -
Mexico finds dozens of dead sea turtles
Environmental officials in Mexico say dozens of dead sea turtles apparently killed in fishing nets have washed up on beaches in recent days.
Authorities say 59 Olive Ridley turtles have been found on beaches in and around the resort of Acapulco.
Environmental protection officer Manuel de Jesus Solis says his agency found 12 dead turtles bearing marks apparently caused by fishing nets. It was unclear which fishing boats were involved.
Victor Berdejo says another 47 dead turtles were found by personnel at a turtle-protection area he supervises.
The sea turtles, once hunted in Mexico for their meat and eggs, were declared a protected species in 1990. Fishermen are required to include turtle escape devices in their nets. Environmental officials in Mexico say dozens of dead sea turtles apparently killed in fishing nets have washed up on beaches in recent... more -
How Much Nature is Enough? // “Does the world need leatherback turtles?"
..the leatherback question is of course a cover for the real question you and others have asked about other species. “What species can we allow to go extinct without major harm (as in bodily) or disruption (as in lifestyle which includes all the props — houses car, roads, food, that enable us to live the way we do) of mankind?”
The answer is:
We are already allowing species to go extinct, and will continue to in the future, due to lack of resources, personal and political will, and knowledge. We have already started “events” that we know of, such as global warming and others that we don’t, but will affect the leatherback and other animals like the polar bear in the Arctic. The reality is we have unwittingly started a science project, on a global scale, that we are part of.
The project’s premise?
“Just how much biodiversity do we need?”
The answer?
“Who knows, because we might not be around to see how this experiment ends.”
So saving as many animals and plants as we can, trying to slow down global warming (we can’t stop it) is our attempt to try to be around when the experiment ends.
--Allen Salzberg
(Publisher, HerpDigest) ..the leatherback question is of course a cover for the real question you and others have asked about other species. “What species can... more -
SO YOU THINK THIS PRIMARY SEASON WAS SLOW?
As you can see in these images, the turtles are teaching Obama that change comes slowly, McCain that he is not that old and experienced, and Hillary that it is OK not to always be first…..
But it is Julie Maguire of Turtle Rescue of Long Island, the woman who gave these turtles a home, that inspires us to remember that you don’t have to be president in order to bring positive change to your community.
Ms. Maguire has been passionate about turtles for a long time and she learned firsthand about the suffering of these animals. So many people are duped into buying turtles without understanding the responsibility it requires to take care of them. The result is neglected animals that are in dire need of new homes and proper care.
So Ms. McGuire found other people in her community that care about this issue and together they established Turtle Rescue Of Long Island, an organization that provides shelter and care to turtles and a network of adopters who are willing to help.
If you want to find out how you can help this wonderful operation, visit the organization's website at:
http://www.turtlerescues.com/
And if you want to create your own Obama, Hillary, and McCain origami action finger puppets and teach them your own life lesson, visit:
http://www.folduscandidate.com/ As you can see in these images, the turtles are teaching Obama that change comes slowly, McCain that he is not that old and experience... more -
The Madagascar Turtle Crisis
These tortoises and turtles are critically endangered due to the illegal pet and food trade. They are also threatened by habitat loss.
-
Gazans slaughter a sea turtle that had come ashore
In Palestine a giant leatherback sea turtle that had come ashore was slaughtered and then dragged into the city by a car.
Some Palestinians believe that drinking of the blood of these turtles is good for you; this particular species of turtle is on the endangered species list. In Palestine a giant leatherback sea turtle that had come ashore was slaughtered and then dragged into the city by a car. ... more -
Sea turtle travels from Indonesia to Oregon
It took 647 days for the 12,000 mile journey, but that did not discourage a Leatherback sea turtle from travelling to Oregon from Indonesia. It took 647 days for the 12,000 mile journey, but that did not discourage a Leatherback sea turtle from travelling to Oregon from Indo... more
-
Save the Turtles
Thousands of Olive Ridley turtles hatch on the protected nesting beaches of Oaxaca, Mexico. Many believe the turtles are endangered due to poaching and climate change. Thousands of Olive Ridley turtles hatch on the protected nesting beaches of Oaxaca, Mexico. Many believe the turtles are endangered du... more
-
Woman Has Back Yard Full of Snapping Turtles
This just in from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department: snapping turtles are not very much fun to play with.
-
Diplo - Official MySpace Page
Check out his new Bartman remix. Also, he likes Manatees. And, apparently, turtles too. I also like turtles.
-
I like turtles?
This little munchkins in a different world
-
related topics
Turtles
Contributors (55)
Turtles
