Take action - protect freshwater turtles!

Ed. Note: As we have detailed in earlier posts, Florida’s freshwater turtles are being fished out of our lakes and streams in large numbers and sold for food, primarily soup in China. But now, thanks to public pressure and heightened media attention, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proposing a statewide ban on the commercial harvest of freshwater turtles. See below for details and please take action per the link below to ensure this proposal is adopted.


Florida soft shell turtle

Florida Proposes Nation's First Freshwater Turtle Harvest Ban
Press Release
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission via Environmental News Service
Florida state wildlife staffers today proposed a draft rule would ban the commercial take or sale of wild freshwater turtles.

Saving the turtle
Editorial
Florida Today
A draft rule developed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would ban the commercial capture or sale of wild freshwater turtles.

TAKE ACTION – Protect Freshwater Turtles!
Click here to email your support for the proposed Turtle Harvest Ban to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and cc Gov. Charlie Crist (thank you Humane Society for creating this easy way to take action on this issue!). You can also email comments directly to turtles@MyFWC.com.
If you are in the big bend area, please consider attending the meeting April 15th at the Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. in Tallahassee and speaking out in favor of the ban on commercial turtle harvesting. Details including the meeting agenda may be found here.

MORE INFO AND WAYS TO HELP
Support the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust and click here to read their March 19th press release.
Support The Lake Jackson Ecopassage.
Support The Gopher Tortoise Council.
Check out the Center for Biological Diversity report: Unsustainable Commercial Harvest of Southern Freshwater Turtles.
Our most recent blog post on this issue which includes links to New York Times and Los Angeles Times articles about Florida’s freshwater turtle crisis may be found here.



Wildwood Preservation Society is part of the Florida Endangered Species Network.



Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

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