Post by LadyViper on Apr 22, 2007 23:18:01 GMT -6
Public Comment Period Concerning Collection of TX Turtles
The GCTTS has been keeping up on what's going on in Texas concerning
the
commercial collection of our native turtles. Texas Parks & Wildlife is
having a public comment period before a proposal is voted on that will
stop or regulate the commercial collection of wild turtles. In 2006
over
90,000 Texas turtles were captured and shipped to China/Asia for their
food markets. There have not been any limitations on these collections.
One major turtle shipping business has several hundred employees that
collect from all over Texas and the numbers have not been limited.
The concern is it is unknown how long Texas turtle populations can
withstand unlimited collection over the years. The GCTTS is going to
submit comments in favor of stopping the commercial collection. This
should NOT affect the possession of a few turtles by the public as
"pets" which is good. We do realize that Red-eared sliders are
plentiful
now and they can be looked upon as pests in some areas but I hate to
see
any turtle collected from the wild and shipped off to be eaten. The way
they are treated in other countries before their slaughter is not very
humane either. Some allowance for RES collection may be made but at
least regulated. I wish the turtles wouldn't have to be shipped live to
other countries. Sometimes live turtles are hung from holes drilled in
their carapaces in the markets. I shutter to picture that in my mind.
I've also seen pictures of it.
We would love to have all GCTTS members mail a brief comment in favor
of
1) stopping commercial collection or 2) making regulations on the
commercial collection of our Texas Turtles. Letters must be received by
them before May 24, 2007. This is so important and we need your help.
If there is not enough comments for this proposal, "Bayou" Bob
Popplewell may win and continue to plunder our Texas turtles by the
thousands every year.
Comments on the proposed rules may be made via the TPWD website or to
Robert Macdonald by email at robert.macdonald@tpwd.state.tx.us or by
regular mail to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School
Road, Austin, TX 78744. (A sample letter follows that you may use if
you wish.)
To read the TP&W webpage about the proposal see this link:
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20070409d
To read more media articles on this at my GCTTS blog go to this link:
www.gctts.org/drupal/node/57
You do not have to be a resident of Texas to comment about this
proposal!
thank you,
Anita Peddicord, GCTTS Secretary
If you wish to use the following letter, please copy it and sign your
name to it. Feel free to re-word it and make it your own:
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department
Attn: Robert Macdonald
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744
I wish to comment about the proposal to ban the commercial collection
of
turtles in our state. I think banning commercial collection is
something that needs to be done. My concern is it is unknown how long
Texas turtle populations can withstand unlimited collection over the
years. We should not wait until species are in trouble before
something
is done. Other states have some degree of regulation on collection and
Texas should too.
Many foreign counties have already seriously reduced their own turtle
populations by over collection and now they want our turtles. We
should
not plunder our turtles and subject them to inhumane shipping practices
and treatment during holding and sale in the markets just because
people
want to eat them. Many of the turtles become ill after capture due to
stress, overcrowding, unclean conditions and dehydration. Live turtles
in the foreign food markets are piled on top of one another in crates.
Many of these turtles are crushed from the weigh. Sometimes holes are
drilled into their shell which is living, feeling bone. Twine is put
through the holes and the turtles are either tethered to something or
they are hung up in the air for live display. No live animal should be
subjected to this kind of treatment.
I do realize that Red-eared sliders, in particular, are plentiful now
and they can be looked upon as pests in some areas but I hate to see
any
turtle or tortoise collected from the wild and shipped off to foreign
countries because of the way they are treated there before their
slaughter. I have seen the pictures of turtles and tortoises in these
situations. I shutter to picture that in my mind and I think most
Texans and U.S. citizens would too if they knew about these practices.
I could understand if some allowance for collection of the Red-ears for
markets here in the U.S. is made but it must be regulated. Because of
the inhumane treatment in other countries, not even Red-ears should be
shipped out of the U.S.
Please do not let people such as Bob Popplewell convince you that our
Texas turtles can withstand large scale collection. These people are
only interested in making money and can't possibly care that these
animals are being ill-treated in other countries.
Sincerely,
The GCTTS has been keeping up on what's going on in Texas concerning
the
commercial collection of our native turtles. Texas Parks & Wildlife is
having a public comment period before a proposal is voted on that will
stop or regulate the commercial collection of wild turtles. In 2006
over
90,000 Texas turtles were captured and shipped to China/Asia for their
food markets. There have not been any limitations on these collections.
One major turtle shipping business has several hundred employees that
collect from all over Texas and the numbers have not been limited.
The concern is it is unknown how long Texas turtle populations can
withstand unlimited collection over the years. The GCTTS is going to
submit comments in favor of stopping the commercial collection. This
should NOT affect the possession of a few turtles by the public as
"pets" which is good. We do realize that Red-eared sliders are
plentiful
now and they can be looked upon as pests in some areas but I hate to
see
any turtle collected from the wild and shipped off to be eaten. The way
they are treated in other countries before their slaughter is not very
humane either. Some allowance for RES collection may be made but at
least regulated. I wish the turtles wouldn't have to be shipped live to
other countries. Sometimes live turtles are hung from holes drilled in
their carapaces in the markets. I shutter to picture that in my mind.
I've also seen pictures of it.
We would love to have all GCTTS members mail a brief comment in favor
of
1) stopping commercial collection or 2) making regulations on the
commercial collection of our Texas Turtles. Letters must be received by
them before May 24, 2007. This is so important and we need your help.
If there is not enough comments for this proposal, "Bayou" Bob
Popplewell may win and continue to plunder our Texas turtles by the
thousands every year.
Comments on the proposed rules may be made via the TPWD website or to
Robert Macdonald by email at robert.macdonald@tpwd.state.tx.us or by
regular mail to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School
Road, Austin, TX 78744. (A sample letter follows that you may use if
you wish.)
To read the TP&W webpage about the proposal see this link:
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20070409d
To read more media articles on this at my GCTTS blog go to this link:
www.gctts.org/drupal/node/57
You do not have to be a resident of Texas to comment about this
proposal!
thank you,
Anita Peddicord, GCTTS Secretary
If you wish to use the following letter, please copy it and sign your
name to it. Feel free to re-word it and make it your own:
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department
Attn: Robert Macdonald
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744
I wish to comment about the proposal to ban the commercial collection
of
turtles in our state. I think banning commercial collection is
something that needs to be done. My concern is it is unknown how long
Texas turtle populations can withstand unlimited collection over the
years. We should not wait until species are in trouble before
something
is done. Other states have some degree of regulation on collection and
Texas should too.
Many foreign counties have already seriously reduced their own turtle
populations by over collection and now they want our turtles. We
should
not plunder our turtles and subject them to inhumane shipping practices
and treatment during holding and sale in the markets just because
people
want to eat them. Many of the turtles become ill after capture due to
stress, overcrowding, unclean conditions and dehydration. Live turtles
in the foreign food markets are piled on top of one another in crates.
Many of these turtles are crushed from the weigh. Sometimes holes are
drilled into their shell which is living, feeling bone. Twine is put
through the holes and the turtles are either tethered to something or
they are hung up in the air for live display. No live animal should be
subjected to this kind of treatment.
I do realize that Red-eared sliders, in particular, are plentiful now
and they can be looked upon as pests in some areas but I hate to see
any
turtle or tortoise collected from the wild and shipped off to foreign
countries because of the way they are treated there before their
slaughter. I have seen the pictures of turtles and tortoises in these
situations. I shutter to picture that in my mind and I think most
Texans and U.S. citizens would too if they knew about these practices.
I could understand if some allowance for collection of the Red-ears for
markets here in the U.S. is made but it must be regulated. Because of
the inhumane treatment in other countries, not even Red-ears should be
shipped out of the U.S.
Please do not let people such as Bob Popplewell convince you that our
Texas turtles can withstand large scale collection. These people are
only interested in making money and can't possibly care that these
animals are being ill-treated in other countries.
Sincerely,