Ga Freshwater Turtles in Peril
Georgia freshwater turtles must contend with a lot of problems. Their nests are raided by fire ants, feral pigs and a growing raccoon population. The pet trade and the loss of wetlands to development are also threats, along with their well-known problems crossing highways. If that were not enough, they now are faced with a new foreign threat, the Asian gourmet food market. In Asian countries, especially China, a voracious appetite for turtle meat has greatly depleted their numbers. Now Chinese importers are looking at the turtle rich Southeastern states, including Georgia.
Of the 320 species of turtles worldwide, 27 of them occur in Georgia. If Georgia were a country, it would be among the top 25 richest nations in turtle diversity, being home to 8% of the world's freshwater turtles. This makes Georgia a prime target for commercial turtle harvesters. Other Southern states, including Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and North Carolina have seen the need for enacting regulations protecting their freshwater turtles from commercial harvesting. With the exception of six species that are considered rare or endangered, Georgia law allows unlimited and unregulated harvest of freshwater turtles. Without protective regulation it is feared that Georgia will become the focus of intense commercial harvesting.
In March 2008, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources was petitioned by several conservation groups requesting an emergency rule making to prohibit commercial collection of freshwater turtles in Georgia. The conservation of freshwater turtles had also been a DNR issue during the development of the State Wildlife Action Plan. Receipt of the petition prompted DNR to move the turtle issue to the forefront. During the summer of 2008 DNR hosted two stakeholder group meetings to review the issue and discuss possible approaches. Members of the scientific community universally agreed that the turtle population could not sustain any significant amount of commercial harvest. This is because turtles are slow growing and may take 10 plus years to reach breeding age. These will be the largest turtles and the ones most attractive to harvesters. Several current and former trappers were also in attendance. Their opinion was divided, with some believing that commercial harvesting is not a threat, and others conceding that it is.
Subsequent to the stakeholder meetings, DNR drafted legislation that would give them authority to establish rules and regulations governing the taking of freshwater turtles. The legislation was submitted to the General Assembly as companion bills going to both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House version was titled HB603 and the Senate bill was SB203. The legislation was modified to permit continued turtle taking on private property with landowners permission. Unfortunately time ran out and the General Assembly adjourned without passing either measure. They will on the docket again for next year’s session of the General Assembly. Both bills can be reviewed at http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/ Interested persons can look up more information on the DNR web page by navigating to the Non-Game, E-newsletter of March 2009.
History has shown us that no species of wildlife can sustain unrestricted commercial harvesting or market hunting. The buffalo could not, nor could the ducks, the deer, or the whales. We will be asking all Sierra Club members to join us in supporting the protective legislation when it is considered in the next session of the Georgia legislature.
For more information, please contact the Sierra Club Wildlife and Wildlands Committee:
- Mike Murdock at murdock1@mindspring.com, 770-985-9144
- Phil Zinmeister at pzinmeister@Oglethorpe.edu
Also, see the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at www.gadnr.org
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