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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…