<
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/minnesota-bans-commercial-trapping-of-wild-turtles-2023-05-24/>
"ST. PAUL, Minn.— Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz today signed into law a ban on
commercial collection of wild turtles in the state. Each year, for-profit
trappers have collected thousands of turtles from the state’s waterways, mostly
to sell for food, traditional Asian medicines or pets.
“Tens of thousands of Minnesota’s turtles are now safe from trappers out to
make a quick buck,” said Collette Adkins, a biologist and senior attorney at
the Center for Biological Diversity. “The science shows that even a small
number of turtle traffickers can quickly devastate turtle populations. This ban
is a big victory for all of us who care about the health of our state’s
wildlife and waterways.”
About two decades ago, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources placed a
moratorium on issuing new licenses for commercial turtle trappers. Since then,
the remaining licensees have continued to collect and sell tens of thousands of
turtles using baited turtle traps. For example, in 2021,19 licensees removed
approximately 10,000 painted turtles from the wild in Minnesota.
A Minnesota study found lower turtle population levels in lakes where
commercial turtle trapping had previously occurred. Many studies have shown
that wild turtles cannot withstand commercial exploitation without facing
severe declines because, unlike deer and other traditional “game” animals,
turtles take many years to mature and reproduce."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-homicide-education-sierra-leone-solar-china/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
