Lone Star State Makes Huge Leap Forward Towards Conserving Native Chelonians
It’s been a long and arduous journey, but conservationists won a massive victory in the name of conservation last week. Following in the footsteps of multiple other US states, Texas officially declared a ban on the commercial harvesting of their native turtles, and thus took a major step towards encouraging a rebound of the many chelonians which are declining across the thousands of acres which span the state. Although eleven years ago saw a regulation which prevented the harvesting of turtles from public land, this new directive prohibits the removal of turtles from all areas, including the private sector. Conservationists advocated strongly for this ruling, resulting from the fact that the majority of Texas territory consists of privately-owned properties, and as such the 2007 ban would hardly be effective in preventing the downfall of Texas chelonians, as is seen in the results of the Asian Turtle Crisis. As biologists continue to monitor the native populations through radio transmitter data collection, they believe that this ban is crucial for the long-term viability of lone star turtles.
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
AU: Population study on Pseudemydura umbrina
USA: Heroic save caught on camera
Asia: Conservation center paves the way with volunteers
USA: K9 team to the rescue on Texas gulf coast
Crime & Punishment
USA: Zoo suffers significant burglary
MX: Encouraging trend in egg poaching rates
USA: Punishment for disturbing protected wildlife
Ecology
USA: Effects of natural disasters on sea turtle populations
Miscellany
CA: The hunt is on for runaway shelter resident
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Photo from Gabriel C. Perez.
