Case of alleged New Jersey turtle trafficker shows scale of black market

in Washington and THE arrest of a US national accused of trafficking thousands of protected turtles has thrown a new spotlight on the illegal wildlife trade that spans the globe and threatens to force rare species of the reptile into extinction.

The forthcoming trial of David Sommers, 62, has exposed New Jersey as an unlikely hotbed of turtle poaching, due to high demand from Asia, where native populations have been depleted, wildlife advocates say.

Popular for its meat, medicinal qualities and as an exotic pet, a single turtle of the right breed can be sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the black market.

Mr Sommers, from Pennsylvania, is accused of smuggling 3,500 diamond- back terrapins, native to the eastern US, out of New Jersey to sell them online. He was charged in July after a shipment to Canada – a box of turtles labelled as a book – was seized. He was also found with more than 3,000 turtles, most of which were hatchlings.

Mr Sommers has denied the charges and is due to stand trial in the coming months. If convicted, he could face up to 35 years in prison.

New Jersey, which is a prime breeding spot, banned the collection, possession and transport of turtles in 2016 after a huge increase in the numbers being removed from its shores.

Conservationists say the removal of just one adult female has huge implications for the local population as they have to lay dozens of eggs just to replace themselves. The US Fish and Wildlife Service told The Sunday Telegraph that it could not comment on Mr Sommers’s case, but pointed to cases it has brought to prosecution, adding that its officers were taking steps to tackle the “potentially devastating threats to wildlife”.

As a major hub for international trade, several species illegally travel through New Jersey’s ports and on to Asia and Europe every year, according to the US Justice Department.