Demand for Turtle Meat Could be Dangerously High
Slow moving and pretty cute for a reptile, turtles are apparently pretty tasty too. Demand for turtle meat, particularly in Asia, has surged to the point that the Centre for Biological Diversity has asked a number of American states to ban the harvesting of turtles and has called the practice unsustainable.While the increase in turtle meat consumption is concentrated in southeast Asia, the number of freshwater turtles in that part of the world has sharply declined. So, hungry turtle-eating Asians are looking to certain American states where turtle harvesting has increased hugely -- Iowa, for instance, saw turtle harvests increase by over 700% between 1987 and 2007.
There are concerns that this quick decimation of turtles could have serious consequences for future turtle populations. Texas has already banned commercial harvesting of wild turtles and Florida is considering a ban for April 15. The Center for Biological Diversity is also asking eight other American states to consider a ban.
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