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Attachments : FYI. might want to step up the pace. Associated PressExperts Seek to Stop Turtles’ ExtinctionBy DORIE TURNER 07.26.07, 3:35 PM ET #ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887headpopvideos {background-color:#336699;color:#ffffff;font-weight:bold;padding:2px;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887borderpopvideos{border:1px solid #336699;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887bordercolorpopvideos {background-color:#336699;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887rowpopvideos {background-color:#ffffff;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887row1popvideos {background-color:#ffffff;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887row2popvideos{background-color:#efefef;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887rulepopvideos {background-color:#ffffff;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887spacepopvideos {background-color:#ffffff;} #ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887headpopstories {background-color:#003399;color:#ffffff;font-weight:bold;padding:2px;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887borderpopstories{border:1px solid #003399;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887bordercolorpopstories {background-color:#003399;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887rowpopstories {background-color:#ffffff;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887row1popstories {background-color:#ffffff;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887row2popstories{background-color:#efefef;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887rulepopstories {background-color:#cccccc;}#ygrps-yiv-240045887 .ygrps-yiv-240045887spacepopstories {background-color:#ffffff;} ATLANTA – Close to 10 million turtles are traded each year in Asian food markets despite global efforts to stem the practice that many experts say is causing the rapid extinction of some species of the shelled reptiles. The centuries-old practice of using turtles for food and medicinal purposes – particularly in China – is a $700 million industry, Chinese conservationist Shi Haitao said during an international turtle expert meeting Thursday. The number of conservationists working in China pales in comparison to the scope of the problem, he said. “I realize there is a long road ahead, even though the situation of turtle conservation in China is improving,” Shi said. He spoke to nearly 200 experts from across the globe who gathered in Atlanta for the joint meeting of the Turtle Survival Alliance and the World Conservation Union’s tortoise and freshwater turtle specialist group. Some markets are selling fewer turtles than they did a decade ago. The Qingping market in Guangzhou, China, has seen an 80 percent decrease in the number of turtles sold since 10 years ago, Shi said. But the country still has no centers to house animals rescued from food markets or turtle breeding farms and has no nature reserves that can help build populations of critically endangered species, Shi said. In the last few years the Turtle Survival Alliance has begun conservation work with 11 of the 20 most critically endangered Asian turtle species, said alliance co-chair Rick Hudson. The alliance is also working with states to pass laws prohibiting the commercial collection of turtles from the wild, he said. “Our two greatest strengths are that we care and that we hit the ground running when we need to,” Hudson told the group. The meeting was sponsored by Zoo Atlanta, the world’s only zoo successfully breeding the rare Arakan forest turtle, one of the more severely endangered turtle species. The zoo hatched two of the brown-and-tan spotted turtles a couple of months ago after breeding a pair of Arakan forest turtles rescued from an Asian food market. The turtle – native to the Arakan hills of western Myanmar – was thought to be extinct before it was found in the food market in the mid-1990s. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
Hi everyone, I just thought I would comment on this because a good friend of mine moved temporarly to China to teach chinese students the english language…. She has been there for two years now and came home for a week and I visited with her this weekend, and she was telling me that the chinese culture ( and this is from a “hands on” point of view) in general, thinks of animals as lower beings and they are treated and thought of much differently there then they are here.- She also told me that she has been to resturants there, where you can walk into a room and pick out a specific turtle ( or whatever you want they may have…) that you want to eat for dinner….. I found this very interesting coming from someone who has actually experienced this and not just heard about it.- Our cultures are obviously quiet different and I am a firm believer in respecting all.– It does bother me however very much that the exsistance of a species does not concern some. I guess that these amazing creatures to some are; just a meal…. its sad. — Heather — M Whilden
Hi there,Just to share my 2 cents worth …. turtles are not the only thing that are being eaten without much thought. The same goes for dogs (and I do mean pet dogs), cats, a variety of wild animals such as bears, flying foxes, snakes, porcupines, hares, bats, frogs, etc. It seems to be a common thread among the locals in China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Perhaps even Thailand. No offense to any members from these countries. Perhaps it happens in other countries as well but me being Asian, I’m more familiar with Asian ‘delicacies’ as they so call it. Do understand that only SOME of these people do so.I don’t know if it boils down to simply culture. Some are driven to hunt these animals on their own due to poverty. Some are of the other extreme where they are so rich they can afford to pay a high price for these meat. I believe it has to do with education. Whether a species is endangered or not, becomes a concern only because they can raise the price of the meat!! It doesn’t matter that such animals may have diseases that could affect humans. Look what happened when the Chinese started eating civet cats?? It killed millions around the world! Not just the Chinese. The other thing I detest is the manner in which these animals are either eaten or killed i.e. eating them while they’re alive or skinning them without first killing the poor animal. Do you know that if a turtle dish is ordered without the shell, the shell is ripped apart while the turtle is alive? If it’s to be boiled, it’s literally boiled alive?? The same goes for any of the animals I mentioned above. Reason – the meat tastes better. Can that really be possible? Killing any animal 10 minutes before doing anything to it surely can’t make such a big difference to the freshness of the meat. Like I said …… education. —– Original Message —-From: heather polechio
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