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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:57 pm
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Results for asian box turtle
1 results foundAuthor: Schoppe, Sabine Title: Status, Trade Cynamics and Management of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle Cuora Amboinensis in Indonesia Summary: The Southeast Asian Box Turtle Cuora amboinensis - one of 29 native freshwater turtles in Indonesia - is a globally vulnerable species and the survival of substantial populations in general is particularly threatened by the extensive international trade for consumption and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to East Asian countries. In order to control the trade, the species and its congeners were included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2000. Prior to the export of Appendix II species from a country of origin, a so-called nondetriment finding (NDF) should be conducted to determine the number of individuals that can be harvested without a negative impact on the survival of wild populations. Such a finding should be the basis for any annual harvest and export quota of the species. An NDF however requires knowledge on socioeconomic factors and of species’ life history, distribution, population densities and threats. Indonesia is the main supplier of Cuora amboinensis to the international meat, TCM and pet markets but no scientifically-based assessment has formed the basis for a NDF and the current national harvest quota of 20 000 individuals per year is based on the export realisation of previous years rather than on the results of comprehensive scientific surveys. Considering the above, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia identified the Southeast Asian Box Turtle as a heavily traded species to be used as a case study for science-based management, which could serve as a model for other CITES Appendix II species (particularly reptiles) in trade. The present study therefore aimed to review information on the biology and ecology of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle, assess the legislation in place to regulate trade in wildlife especially in freshwater turtles and tortoises, identify past and current harvest and trade levels, and determine whether the abundance of the species has changed over time. The literature review revealed that the Southeast Asian Box Turtle plays an undefined but likely important role in food webs of wetland ecosystems, and serves as seed disperser. Therefore, its temporary or permanent removal from its natural habitats leads to an imbalance of the ecosystem structure, the significance and consequences of which currently cannot be determined. The species has a low and relatively slow growth. The Southeast Asian Box Turtle has a low reproductive rate: in captivity, it might reach maturity in four years and five months; in the wild it will take about 5½-6 years to attain maturity, and one female produces an average of only six eggs per year, three of which might reach juvenile stage. The species is adaptable to man-made habitats which makes it very accessible for harvest. There are only very few if any properly protected areas in Indonesia, whose turtle populations could serve as assurance colonies. Despite being a commensal species, it is nowadays difficult to find a Southeast Asian Box Turtle in the wild near residential or agricultural areas in Indonesia. Its life cycle combined with continuous harvest for the food and TCM trade has led to over-exploitation of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle in Indonesia and to local extinction around trade centres. The present study concentrated on harvest and trade centres in Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra and Kalimantan was conducted from March to July 2006 and indicated a decline in the mean size of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle as a result of long-term over-exploitation of adults. In Indonesia, local utilization of the species is negligible but international trade for consumption and TCM is extensive and represents the major threat to the survival of the species. Illegal trade is extensive and includes all levels and kinds of traders such as collectors, middlemen, suppliers and exporters of registered and unregistered companies. Also alarming is the extent of plastrons and carapaces illegally traded, which mostly remain undetected due to easy concealment. The population size of the species in two hectare of a peat swamp forest in a protected area, the Taman National Rawa Aopa Watomohai in the south-east of the island of Sulawesi was estimated to be 120 individuals or 60 individual/ha. The population composition in terms of immature to mature ratio was almost 1:1 (54.9% immature and 45.1% mature). Harvest surveys of the species in an openly accessible area in East Kalimantan have shown that four middlemen alone easily assemble more than half of the nation’s annual quota in one year. The composition of harvested individuals in the study site in Kota Bangun, East Kalimantan was significantly in favour of large adults (95.8%) and contained only 4.2% immature individuals. Most of the Indonesian registered pet traders stated that nowadays it is more difficult to get a certain number of individuals compared to some 5-10 years ago. Generally, populations of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle near centres of trade are over-exploited and in many cases, even locally extinct. The main ports of illegal exports are Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Makassar, Tembilahan, Medan and Pekanbaru. Major international destinations are Hong Kong SAR, mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia. Illegal export in the species is believed to far exceed the number of individuals that can be legally exported (18 000 individuals). The most conservative estimate is that illegal trade amounts to 10 times the volume of legal trade, but probably it is rather 100 times the volume of legal trade. A total trade ban is not expected to solve the problem of unsustainable harvest but illegal trade has to be eradicated to allow sustainable management of this and other wildlife species. Tortoises and freshwater turtles including the Southeast Asian Box Turtle may only be exported live from Indonesia. The export of dead animals, parts (carapace or plastron) or derivatives is illegal under the Indonesian quota system. Some members of the CITES MA, especially at the provincial level are not aware of this. Export of dead specimens, parts and derivatives of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle from Indonesia has increased since the species became listed in Appendix II. This trend seems to apply also to other freshwater turtle species that recently became CITES-listed. Furthermore, increased control of live shipments has led to an increased volume of illegally traded shells. Many of the illegal shipments have forged CITES export permits. Enforcement officers are insufficiently trained and/or do not check CITES permits thoroughly. Illegal export of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle and other freshwater turtles from Indonesia is possible because many shipments are not inspected, many law enforcement officers do not know the conservation status of the different freshwater turtle species, and still cannot distinguish between the different species. Indonesia has a substantive enough legislative framework in place to govern the management of wildlife harvest and trade, and it is comparatively stronger than that of many neighbouring countries. Unfortunately, the enforcement of these laws is very weak. None of the establishments that sold the Southeast Asian Box Turtle for local utilization obtained the specimens from licensed collectors nor were these outlets licensed to sell. The Indonesian CITES MA has a very detailed, complex and difficult licensing and permit system. The quota setting in Indonesia is not science-based but driven by the demand from traders to supply importing countries especially those in East Asia where large volumes are consumed for food and traditional medicines. The distribution of the national quota among provinces is not related to local abundance nor to sustainability of trade but to the presence of a trader. Locations for harvest or capture are not carefully selected based on biological and ecological assessments, but rather in accordance with the preferred collection sites of the trader. The fact that some freshwater turtle species fall under the jurisdiction of the PHKA (Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation under the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia) while others are under the management of the DKP (Indonesian Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries), has led to considerable confusion and weakness in law enforcement. Results of this study have shown that the exploitation of the Southeast Asian Box Turtle in Indonesia has reached a level that requires immediate action. Harvest needs to be regulated and illegal trade to be eradicated. Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2009. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/09_Status_Trade_SE_Asian_Box_Turtle.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Asia URL: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/09_Status_Trade_SE_Asian_Box_Turtle.pdf Shelf Number: 128051 Keywords: Asian Box TurtleIllegal Wildlife TradeWildlife Crimes (Asia)Wildlife ManagementWildlife Smuggling |