1 Tahrcountry Musings: Indonesian Turtle On The Brink of Extinction

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Indonesian Turtle On The Brink of Extinction

Roti Island snake-necked turtles, found only in the wetlands of eastern Indonesia is on the brink of extinction. According to a report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, the species is often exported illegally under a similar species, the New Guinea snake-necked turtle. Government controls have been very lax. In 2000, the IUCN Red List categorized the Roti Island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi) as “critically endangered’. The species is also listed in Appendix II of CITES, which requires any international trade to be carried out under a permit system. The continuing international demand for the turtle from collectors in Europe, North America and East Asia is pushing this endemic species towards extinction. TRAFFIC — a joint programme of WWF and IUCN is organising awareness building workshops for local enforcement agencies in an effort to stem the tide.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

avarice of the collectors in Europe, North America and East Asia is driving one more species to the brink. Gives ample proof that local action assisted by international awareness alone can ensure safety of the imperiled wildlife.

Anonymous said...

Developed countries need to pay more attention to this pressing affair.

Sophie Cochin