SPEAK UP FOR THE SMALL TURTLES OF TEXAS!

Carole Allen of Help Endangered Animals – Ridley Turtles writes that the Commissioners of Texas Parks and Wildlife have stopped commercial collection of Texas turtles (red ear sliders, soft shells, snappers, box turtles, etc.) in order to gather public comment prior to their May 24 meeting. We must deluge them with mail supporting their initial vote to protect turtles which are have been collected in growing numbers for years and shipped to China to be slaughtered. We need to ask for a permanent ban! 

There is much evidence indicating that, because of their biology, most turtle populations cannot sustain any level of commercial harvest. Furthermore, the population status of Texas turtles and tortoises has never been assessed, nor have the effects of commercial harvesting and the sustainability of populations with the current management strategies. Please take a moment to send a message asking for commercial collection of Texas turtles to be halted to robert.macdonald@tpwd.state.tx.us. For more information about the issue, Allen can be reached at carole@seaturtles.org.