Group asks AGFC to protect turtles

The Center for Biological Diversity and several Arkansas-based environmental organizations petitioned the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on Monday to end commercial collection of the state’s wild turtles.

Currently, turtle trappers may legally collect unlimited numbers of 14 types of turtles to sell domestically or export to Asian food, pet and medicinal markets.

Last week, New York banned the commercial collection of diamondback turtles, and Nevada halted commercial reptile collection.

“Arkansas’ precious turtles shouldn’t be sacrificed so a few trappers can make a quick buck,” said Elise Bennett, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s time for the state to adopt common-sense measures to protect its turtles from unchecked exploitation.”

Arkansas allows turtle harvesting from waters across roughly half the state, including the entirety of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers.

According to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission harvest report records, 126,381 freshwater turtles were harvested from 2014 to 2016. Two-thirds were taken from only five counties.

“The wholesale exploitation of aquatic turtle populations in Arkansas threatens the health of our water bodies,” said Cindy Franklin, president of the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas. “Aquatic turtles, from formidable snapping turtles to diminutive map turtles, serve an important purpose as the principal scavengers of our aquatic ecosystems. Without turtles to consume dead fish and debris on the bottoms of our waterways, water quality can decline and become unpleasant for wildlife and people alike.”