Nov 22, 2008 8:37 pm US/Eastern
Gov. Crist Requests Ban On Turtle Hunting
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ―
Governor Charlie Crist is getting mixed reviews on his decision to encourage state wildlife officials to ban harvesting wild turtles in Florida.
The governor wrote a letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission asking members to ban the harvest of freshwater turtles in Florida. The worldwide demand for them has grown exponentially; Crist is concerned commercial hunting will hurt the turtle population.
The state already has a temporary limit for commercial hunters: 20 turtles a day. Individuals are allowed to harvest five a day. Nonetheless, up to 15 thousand pounds of soft-shell turtles are shipped each week from Florida to markets in China and Asia.
Critics of the ban say the governor is injecting politics and emotions into the process, rather than letting officials base the decision on science. Bob Jones of the Southeastern Fisheries Association says the system needs more scientific study.
He feels this is less of an issue of animals, and more of an issue about jobs. "The commission already reduced the harvest and what bothers me is that people who are opposed to harvesting any type of critters feel like they can say, 'Well, we can't harvest this species because it might end up in China or somewhere.' I don't think that's the proper rationale for managing marine resources. And again, loss of jobs. We shouldn't lose one job in Florida with the economic shape this state is in."
Supporters are thrilled with the governor's support, saying there's plenty of science showing turtle populations are suffering as a result of aggressive hunting. Wildlife Scientist Dale Jackson says "For many years, we've actually believed that turtles need a lot more protection from harvest than they've been getting, basically, on a global scale as well as within Florida."
The director of Florida's Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Tim Breault, says the letter is appreciated, but the agency still needs to study the issue of turtle hunting. "If you push things too quickly," he suggested, "sometimes you get things overturned because you haven't considered collateral impacts or things that are unanticipated."
Breault expects the commission will have a preliminary management plan for freshwater turtles by April; it should be ready for approval next June.
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