The harvest of freshwater turtles (Chelidae) from Papua, Indonesia, for the international pet trade

The international trade in wildlife is currently one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. One group, the turtles, has experienced far-reaching population declines and extinctions because the majority of animals are sourced from the wild. The island of New Guinea has the highest diversity of fres...

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Published inOryx Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 298 - 302
Main Authors Lyons, Jessica Ann, Natusch, Daniel James Deans, Shepherd, Chris R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.04.2013
Subjects
Amphibia. Reptilia
Biological and medical sciences
Chelidae
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
International trade
Pets
Reptiles & amphibians
Towns
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Wildlife trade
Asia
South east Asia
Indonesia
New Guinea
Australasian Region
conservation status
wildlife trade
New Guinea
Chelodina
freshwater turtles
Elseya
Emydura
Chelidae
International trade
Vertebrata
Reptilia
Pet animal
Chelonia
Tropical zone
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Summary:The international trade in wildlife is currently one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. One group, the turtles, has experienced far-reaching population declines and extinctions because the majority of animals are sourced from the wild. The island of New Guinea has the highest diversity of freshwater turtles (Chelidae) in the Australasian region and large numbers are harvested from the Indonesian province of Papua to supply the international pet trade. A total of 264 of these turtles representing six species were recorded between December 2010 and March 2011 while gathering information about wildlife trade in the Indonesian province of Papua. Most were juveniles, although a substantial number of large adults were also harvested. None of the species recorded are CITES-listed. Despite one species not being allocated an annual harvest quota, it was observed being traded. Illegal and unregulated trade coupled with a lack of basic ecological data for these species can have a severe impact on wild populations. We present recommendations for law enforcement and conservation of these species.
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ISSN:0030-6053
1365-3008
DOI:10.1017/S0030605312000932