By Chad Love

Any Alabama turtle hunters out there? If so, then you are no more, and you can thank the apparently insatiable Asian turtle meat market for that...
 
From this story on wkrg.com:  

Hunting wild freshwater turtles is now illegal in Alabama. The new regulations, which went into effect on Sunday, are some of the strictest in the nation - a fact herpetologist and "turtle expert" Dr. David Nelson welcomes. "We want to protect what we have," said Dr. Nelson, a professor at the University of South Alabama. "Because you can't go many places in this world and find nicer habitats or more diverse fauna, and so we've got something really valuable, and we need to keep and protect it." It turns out Asia has a big appetite for turtle meat, for food and medicinal purposes. According to experts, Asia depleted their own supply, and turned to the U.S to feed their hunger.

"They've over-fished in asia, so theres not a whole lot around," said Bill Trufant, who sells turtles (among other animals) at the B & B Pet Stop in Mobile. "So they come to the states and get our turtles." As surrounding states passed regulations banning turtle harvesting, Alabama's lack of policing made it a prime target. "Alabama is not too progressive when it comes to protecting the environment," said Dr. Nelson. "The Department of Conservation has always done what they can within the limits of the law, but of course they can only enforce the law." The new law applies to both public and private lands, but does not include turtle farmers, who do not get their turtles from the wild. Poachers caught selling turtles in Alabama can face a $500 fine and a year in jail. But some experts believe many will take the risk.

Does that mean kids can't catch turtles anymore, either? Turtle-catchin' was an integral and important part of my formative years. Of course, when I was eight, I also didn't plan on exporting all those box turtles, red-eared sliders, soft-shelled turtles and common snappers for the Asian market, so maybe Alabama game wardens will go easy on innocent youthful offenders. Makes me wonder, though: Can't we make some kind of deal here? Something like, they leave our turtles alone, and in return we'll give all their carp and snakeheads back? Sounds fair to me...

Comments (8)

from FL Hunter wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Good to hear that Alabama is protecting its wildlife from the greedy Asian markets.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from larson014 wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

fl hunter i would add... "at the cost of the residents of the state of Alabama" to the end of your comment.

if they wanted to "protect the turtles from going to asia" then they could ban the export thereof (if its not illegal already, i do not know)

this just hurts all the legal hunters/fisherman out there

unfortunately, as long as the payoff is high, the poachers will continue to poach turtles, regardless of the laws..

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from nuclear_fisher wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

I just finished working for a year with a visiting faculty member from one of China's largest cities. She couldn't believe how many birds we had here and said something to the effect that, if this was back in china, they would have eaten all these birds already. I also had another friend who took a million pictures of the many squirrels and rabbits we have on campus because he had never seen one of those back home.

It seems as if exploiting nature is just how it is over there.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bass bomber wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

I can't really say I made about this because I used to have a pet turtle.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from vayotehowler wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

I called it last week with the story about the eels . the deplete their supply and then exploit our supplies by paying outrageous prices for the market . Aqua culture mean anyhtign to these people??

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tom warner wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

And a darn good thing too!! These greedy jerks who plunder our wildlife should all be jailed,...or much worse. I doubt that many know just how many turtles have been shipped to Asia, but it is many millions. Just look up the figures. And all to feed the Asians who have wrecked their own environment and killed off most of their wildlife. Let 'em eat dirt as far as I am concerned! Conservation is a word without meaning to these people. And, sad to say, to many of us here also.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tom warner wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

And a darn good thing too!! These greedy jerks who plunder our wildlife should all be jailed,...or much worse. I doubt that many know just how many turtles have been shipped to Asia, but it is many millions. Just look up the figures. And all to feed the Asians who have wrecked their own environment and killed off most of their wildlife. Let 'em eat dirt as far as I am concerned! Conservation is a word without meaning to these people. And, sad to say, to many of us here also.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Josh Giannino wrote 49 weeks 5 days ago

If we used all of our timber,i bet damn well that asia wouldnt let us come over and start harvesting thier trees, so why should our wildlife be any different, they always complain about how high the populations are over there... well let darwin take care of it, instead of using our rescources to fuel the problem.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

from FL Hunter wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

Good to hear that Alabama is protecting its wildlife from the greedy Asian markets.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tom warner wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

And a darn good thing too!! These greedy jerks who plunder our wildlife should all be jailed,...or much worse. I doubt that many know just how many turtles have been shipped to Asia, but it is many millions. Just look up the figures. And all to feed the Asians who have wrecked their own environment and killed off most of their wildlife. Let 'em eat dirt as far as I am concerned! Conservation is a word without meaning to these people. And, sad to say, to many of us here also.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from larson014 wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

fl hunter i would add... "at the cost of the residents of the state of Alabama" to the end of your comment.

if they wanted to "protect the turtles from going to asia" then they could ban the export thereof (if its not illegal already, i do not know)

this just hurts all the legal hunters/fisherman out there

unfortunately, as long as the payoff is high, the poachers will continue to poach turtles, regardless of the laws..

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from nuclear_fisher wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

I just finished working for a year with a visiting faculty member from one of China's largest cities. She couldn't believe how many birds we had here and said something to the effect that, if this was back in china, they would have eaten all these birds already. I also had another friend who took a million pictures of the many squirrels and rabbits we have on campus because he had never seen one of those back home.

It seems as if exploiting nature is just how it is over there.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bass bomber wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

I can't really say I made about this because I used to have a pet turtle.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from vayotehowler wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

I called it last week with the story about the eels . the deplete their supply and then exploit our supplies by paying outrageous prices for the market . Aqua culture mean anyhtign to these people??

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tom warner wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago

And a darn good thing too!! These greedy jerks who plunder our wildlife should all be jailed,...or much worse. I doubt that many know just how many turtles have been shipped to Asia, but it is many millions. Just look up the figures. And all to feed the Asians who have wrecked their own environment and killed off most of their wildlife. Let 'em eat dirt as far as I am concerned! Conservation is a word without meaning to these people. And, sad to say, to many of us here also.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Josh Giannino wrote 49 weeks 5 days ago

If we used all of our timber,i bet damn well that asia wouldnt let us come over and start harvesting thier trees, so why should our wildlife be any different, they always complain about how high the populations are over there... well let darwin take care of it, instead of using our rescources to fuel the problem.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.