Bangkok - Bangkok's Chatuchak weekend market is a major hub
for the illegal trade in freshwater turtles and tortoises, according
to a report released Friday by TRAFFIC, the wildlife monitoring
network.
A recent investigation conducted by TRAFFIC, in collaboration with
the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), found that the majority of turtles on
sale at Chatuchak were illegally imported into the country and many
were listed as endangered species.
'Dealers stated openly that many specimens were smuggled into and
out of Thailand,' said Chris R Shepherd, senior programme officer
for TRAFFIC South-East Asia. 'They even offered potential buyers
advice on how to smuggle reptiles through customs and onto
aeroplanes.'
The most popular species at Chatuchak market was the
Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), a species endemic to
Madagascar and listed in Appendix I of CITES (the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora),
meaning that all commercial international trade in Radiated
Tortoises is prohibited.
The report found that nearly a third of the turtles and tortoises
on sale at the popular Bangkok market were listed in Appendix I of
CITES, and that dealers regularly urged buyers to purchase the most
endangered species because of their rarity value.
'It is a sad day when people use a species' risk of extinction as
a selling point,' said Jane Smart, Head of IUCN's Species Programme.
Following disclosure of the report's findings, Thai police
raided Chatuchak market earlier this month and seized a variety of
illegal wildlife, including 18 Radiated Tortoises and 3 Ploughshare
Tortoises (A.yniphora).
International trade in the Ploughshare, considered the world's
rarest tortoise, is prohibited.
'We congratulate the Royal Thai Police on their recent raid,' said
Shepherd. 'But recent information indicates the illegal trade
continues, and we encourage the authorities to keep the pressure on.'
USA
Your Talkback on this Story