24,000 olive ridley sea turtle eggs seized near Salina Cruz, Oaxaca
“This seizure is one of the largest we have carried out,” Profepa said. “What’s more, the person [apprehended] is apparently a repeat offender and presumably one of the largest gatherers and distributors of turtle eggs in the region.”
The maximum penalty for trafficking in turtle eggs is nine years in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 pesos (US $15,000).
…Although this year’s seizure was large, it was not the largest this year. Officials seized 47,000 turtle eggs near Mazunte, Oaxaca, earlier this month.
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
Switzerland: at CITES’ Conference of the Parties, Kenya will discuss protection of pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) in addition to other issues
Cyprus: complaints filed to Larcana district officer after video spreads of tractor driving on beach near sea turtle nests (VIDEO)
Cyprus: Fisheries and Marine Research Department says zero tolerance for law violations at Lara turtle beach
USA: Georgia barrier islands’ record sea turtle nest count continues to climb, count now at 3,915
Education
USA: meet gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), other animals at Savannah River Ecology Laboratory’s 11th Annual Touch An Animal Day in Aiken
USA: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) shares advice on how to help sea turtle hatchlings this nesting season
Miscellany
STUDY: “Neurovascular anatomy of the protostegid turtle Rhinochelys pulchriceps and comparisons of membranous and endosseous labyrinth shape in an extant turtle”
STUDY: “Estimating the phylogeny of geoemydid turtles (Cryptodira) from landmark data: an assessment of different methods”
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Photo from Mexico News Daily.
