Demand Reform of the Turtle Trade
The United States is home to more types of turtles than any other country in the world. But a frenzy of international trade is rapidly chipping away at that natural heritage, with millions of wild-caught freshwater turtles exported to Asia each year.
Given the enormity of this commerce and the wealth of life that stands to be lost, the United States has a duty to right this wrong and take a leading role in promoting responsible turtle trade. Regulation under CITES would be a critical first step in that direction.
In 2011 the Center for Biological Diversity formally petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documenting the grievous harms of the turtle trade. This past October the agency responded with a proposal to protect the spiny softshell, Florida softshell, smooth softshell and common snapping turtle with a CITES listing — a move that would result in closer monitoring, stricter permitting and more humane transportation standards.
Take action today — urge the Service to do everything in its power to expedite these trade protections and save our freshwater turtles.
Subject: Protect Our Freshwater Turtles With CITES Listing
Dear [Decision maker],
I am writing in strong support of your efforts to reform international trade of the following freshwater turtles: smooth softshells, spiny softshells, Florida softshells and common snapping turtles.
The United States is a key player in the international turtle trade with exports reaching millions of live turtles each year. Most turtles harvested here are exported to supply food and medicinal markets in Asia, where turtle consumption rates have soared and, unsurprisingly, native turtle populations have been depleted.
We simply can't sustain this kind of harvesting from the wild without causing our own turtle populations to crash. Listing these species under CITES, Appendix III, will help remedy the situation through close monitoring, reporting and humane transportation standards.
[Your comments here]
Please -- do everything in your power with this CITES rule change to make sure our native turtles don't disappear as they have in Asia.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
