Ban on snapping turtle harvest urged
Group questions why it’s still legal in Ontario to harvest the reptiles, a ‘ species of concern’
Environmental groups are calling for an end to the ‘ unsustainable’ hunting of Ontario’s snapping turtles. The ancient reptile is listed as a federal and provincial ‘ species of concern.’
A coalition of environmental groups has called for an end to the “unsustainable” hunting of snapping turtles in Ontario, issuing a report that highlights the fact legal harvests of the ancient reptile are still allowed despite the creature’s listing as a federal and provincial “species of concern.”
In a report called The Road to Extinction — a title that underscores another major threat to the large turtles: being run over by cars — the Vancouver- based David Suzuki Foundation and two Ontario nature organizations are pressing the province to follow Quebec and Nova Scotia in legislating an end to legal hunting of the species, believed to have evolved as a distinct animal more than 40 million years ago from immediate ancestors that walked the Earth with dinosaurs.
A major concern among wildlife advocates is the snapping turtle’s long, slow crawl toward sexual maturity, with adult females taking up to 16 years to become reproductively active. Proponents of the ban say the multiple threats of hunting, highway carnage and habitat loss mean the deaths of even a small number of older, larger snapping turtles take a toll on the species far out of proportion to the percentage killed.
“The future of these prehistoric creatures depends on the choices we make and the action we take,” Rachel Plotkin, the Suzuki Foundation’s biodiversity policy analyst, said in a statement accompanying the report. “We must ensure our remaining wetlands are protected and continue to build infrastructure that provides safe passage for turtles. Ontario’s hunt for snappers simply must end.”
The report makes clear snapping turtles “cannot withstand such high mortality rates,” said Anne Bell, director of conservation with report co- author Ontario Nature. “It is our hope the province will act on our recommendation to ban the hunt.”
The call to end hunting — which is open to any Ontarian with a fishing licence, but limited to a maximum of two turtles per day at certain times of the year — echoes a recommendation made last year by the province’s wilderness watchdog.
Ontario environmental commissioner Gord Miller expressed doubt the province’s “conservative harvest” policy would be enough to ensure the species’ long- term survival in a key habitat, adding a “precautionary” approach — including a hunting ban — makes the most sense given the several years expected to pass before a comprehensive management plan for the species is developed.