Public Comment Period Concerning Collection of TX Turtles - from GCTTS

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Public Comment Period Concerning Collection of TX Turtles

 

The GCTTS has been keeping up on what's going on in Texas concerning

The commercial collection of our native turtles. Texas Parks & Wildlife

Is having a public comment period before a proposal is voted on that

will stop or regulate the commercial collection of wild turtles. In

2006 over 90,000 Texas turtles were captured and shipped to China/Asia

for their food markets. There have not been any limitations on these

collections. One major turtle shipping business has several hundred

employees that collect from all over Texas and the numbers have not

been limited.

 

The concern is it is unknown how long Texas turtle populations can

withstand unlimited collection over the years. The GCTTS is going to

submit comments in favor of stopping the commercial collection. This

should NOT affect the possession of a few turtles by the public as

" pets " which is good. We do realize that Red-eared sliders are

plentiful now and they can be looked upon as pests in some areas but I

hate to see any turtle collected from the wild and shipped off to be

eaten. The way they are treated in other countries before their

slaughter is not very humane either. Some allowance for RES collection

may be made but at least regulated. I wish the turtles wouldn't have

to be shipped live to other countries. Sometimes live turtles are hung

from holes drilled in their carapaces in the markets. I shutter to

picture that in my mind. I've also seen pictures of it.

 

We would love to have all GCTTS members mail a brief comment in favor of

1) stopping commercial collection or 2) making regulations on the

commercial collection of our Texas Turtles. Letters must be received

by them before May 24, 2007. This is so important and we need your help.

If there is not enough comments for this proposal, " Bayou " Bob

Popplewell may win and continue to plunder our Texas turtles by the

thousands every year.

 

Comments on the proposed rules may be made via the TPWD website or to

Robert Macdonald by email at robert.macdonald or by

regular mail to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School

Road, Austin, TX 78744. (A sample letter follows that you may use if

you wish.)

 

To read the TP & W webpage about the proposal see this link:

 

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20070409d

 

To read more media articles on this at my GCTTS blog go to this link:

 

http://www.gctts.org/drupal/node/57

 

You do not have to be a resident of Texas to comment about this

proposal!

 

thank you,

 

Anita Peddicord, GCTTS Secretary

 

 

If you wish to use the following letter, please copy it and sign your

name to it. Feel free to re-word it and make it your own:

 

 

Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department

Attn: Robert Macdonald

4200 Smith School Road

Austin, Texas 78744

 

I wish to comment about the proposal to ban the commercial collection

of turtles in our state. I think banning commercial collection is

something that needs to be done. My concern is it is unknown how long

Texas turtle populations can withstand unlimited collection over the

years. We should not wait until species are in trouble before

something is done. Other states have some degree of regulation on

collection and Texas should too.

 

Many foreign counties have already seriously reduced their own turtle

populations by over collection and now they want our turtles. We

should not plunder our turtles and subject them to inhumane shipping

practices and treatment during holding and sale in the markets just

because people want to eat them. Many of the turtles become ill after

capture due to stress, overcrowding, unclean conditions and

dehydration. Live turtles in the foreign food markets are piled on

top of one another in crates.

Many of these turtles are crushed from the weigh. Sometimes holes are

drilled into their shell which is living, feeling bone. Twine is put

through the holes and the turtles are either tethered to something or

they are hung up in the air for live display. No live animal should

be subjected to this kind of treatment.

 

I do realize that Red-eared sliders, in particular, are plentiful now

and they can be looked upon as pests in some areas but I hate to see

any turtle or tortoise collected from the wild and shipped off to

foreign countries because of the way they are treated there before

their slaughter. I have seen the pictures of turtles and tortoises in

these situations. I shutter to picture that in my mind and I think

most Texans and U.S. citizens would too if they knew about these

practices.

I could understand if some allowance for collection of the Red-ears

for markets here in the U.S. is made but it must be regulated.

Because of the inhumane treatment in other countries, not even

Red-ears should be shipped out of the U.S.

 

Please do not let people such as Bob Popplewell convince you that our

Texas turtles can withstand large scale collection. These people are

only interested in making money and can't possibly care that these

animals are being ill-treated in other countries.

 

Sincerely,