Toronto Zoo, Crime Stoppers campaign sheds light on turtle trafficking

The Toronto Zoo and Crime Stoppers launched a campaign this week aimed at educating people to help put an end to illegal turtle trade.

 “Given the length of time most turtles take to mature and reproduce, taking even one turtle from the wild can hurt the entire population,” the organizations said in a release.

• Windsor man charged with hiding 51 turtles on body
• Canadian man caught trying to smuggle 1,007 turtles to China

Turtle trafficking is part of the global illegal wildlife trade estimated to be worth as much as $30 billion a year, the organizations said.

“The illegal trade of wildlife is the fourth most lucrative criminal activity worldwide, only exceeded by the trade of narcotics, counterfeiting and human trafficking", says David Forster, president of the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers.

In Ontario, seven of the eight turtle species are at risk. Rare turtles in the province, such as wood turtles, spotted turtles and Blanding’s turtles, are prized by collectors, the organizations said. Other species, such as snapping turtles, are also wanted for food.

Further west of Toronto, Tom Preney, city naturalist in Windsor, Ont., says turtle poaching is also a problem.

"We may not think there are people out there seeking out turtles to poach and sell in the pet trade but it's happening throughout the province," he said. "So it's important we keep [turtle locations] location low-key."

Other factors threatening turtles include the loss of habit, collisions with cars, as well as predators such as skunks and raccoons that eat their eggs.

Residents can get involved in the campaign by:

• Report sightings of turtles you see in the wild to Ontario Turtle Tally. The data will be used to map species’ locations across the province and help authorities and biologists identify areas where at-risk populations live.
• Call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or call the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry tip line at 1-877-847-7667.
• Spread the word to educate people that taking threatened animals from the wild is illegal.
• Watch for suspicious activities in natural areas, such as off-trail activities, overnight parking or anglers carrying unusual equipment like snares or a large number of buckets.

Steve Marks used to work with Ontario Parks and says a public campaign is the most important step in protecting turtles.

"The issue is too big for just being caught at the border. If you can't stop the criminals themselves, you have to educate the people so there's no market for that," he said. "There's very few legal turtles in Canada that aren't native to Canada."