Around 15,000 fresh-water turtles hidden in a total of 158 wooden crates have been confiscated by Mexican authorities on Tuesday.?
The shipment was bound for China, containing some endangered species of turtles as well.
As per the environmental prosecutors¡¯ office, the crates were found at a freight facility on the outskirts of Mexico City. The turtles were not properly marked, nor was there an accurate depiction of the species of turtles involved in the shipment¡¯s paperwork.
Out of the 15,000 fresh-water turtles, 260 had died in the crates when the authorities confiscated the shipment.
The turtles were found to be of various species, including white-lipped mud turtles, Mexican giant musk turtles, narrow-bridged musk turtles and the common red-eared slider.?
Among these, the white-lipped mud turtles, Mexican giant musk turtles and narrow-bridged musk turtles belong to the same family of Kinosternidae and are found in regions of Central America and northwestern South America, including Mexico. The common red-eared slider,?
The common red-eared slider on the other hand, belongs to the family of Emydidae and is a popular pet across the world. A 2014 research mentions that the red-eared slider ¡°starts out predominantly carnivorous when juvenile¡±, and as they grow older and larger, ¡°they cannot maneuver in shallow [warm] water and move into deeper, cooler water.¡± In the process, they shift to eating water plants like duckweed and hydrilla.
As if plastic pollution wasn't enough, trapping and killing sea turtles all around the world in huge numbers, looks like human greed and disregard for turtles' lives is playing its part with this endangered turtle trade operating in the shadows.
The research also mentions a constant increase in trade of these turtles. ¡°Over 52,000,000 red-eared sliders were exported from the United States between 1989 and 1997,¡± it mentions. The export from the US to other countries in Europe and Asia grew despite the turtle trade ban in the country since 1975.
Another report by National Geographic narrows the trade down to China being the main market for these turtles. Details about an October 2019 case uncovered by Carolina state law enforcement officers read, ¡°Court documents suggest that Horton¡¯s operation alone may have helped smuggle hundreds¡ªif not thousands¡ªof American turtles to China. According to surveillance footage and records obtained by law enforcement, the turtles were shipped from Atlanta to Los Angeles and onward to Guangzhou, in southern China.¡± Note that South Carolina doesn¡¯t allow commercial-scale trapping at all.
China is well known for its wet markets wherein most of the creatures of the wild are enjoyed as a delicacy. Some animal parts like tiger bones are even used in medicines extensively in the country. Turtles form part of both China¡¯s meat as well as exotic pet industry.
A report mentions that such a trade in other kinds of wildlife ¡°has been implicated in the transmission of threats like the novel coronavirus to humans.¡±?
If a similar transmission of any disease is found to be present in the turtles, China maybe headed towards another global blame with the risky practice of endangered turtle trade.