MORE THAN A MILLION SEA TURTLES ILLEGALLY KILLED OVER PAST 30 YEARS: STUDY

Thu 29 September 2022:

Over 1.1 million sea turtles have been illegally killed in the past 30 years, according to a recent study. Despite laws intended to protect them, at least 44,000 turtles have been illegally killed and exported annually across 65 countries, according to scientists from Arizona State University.

According to the UN, the market for illegal wildlife products, including trafficking and hunting, will be worth $23 billion annually.

The turtles were killed for their meat and their parts were used to create jewelry, artifacts, and traditional medicines, according to the study’s principal author, Jesse Senko. The species was designated as critically endangered by Senko.

The researchers examined over 209 different peer-reviewed articles, reports, and surveys from conservation organisations to determine the extent of illegal turtle hunting. The study was published in the journal Global Change Biology, The Guardian reported.

According to the report, over 43,000 turtles were smuggled between 1990 and 2010, although Senko believes the data to be understated.

The study claimed that Southeast Asia and Madagascar are prime locations for illegal hunting. Vietnam holds the majority of the illegal sea turtle trade, and the two most common markets for illegal turtle items are China and Japan.

Senko said that as long as higher-income nations continue to want turtles as luxury commodities, developing nations will continue to supply them.

One of the report’s more encouraging statistics is the estimate that illegal sea turtle exploitation has decreased by 28% over the previous 10 years.

According to Senko, this data can be used to determine which turtles are being hunted and where. This could make it easier to determine what steps environmentalists and policymakers should take in the future to protect sea turtle populations.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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