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| Soft-shell turtle under threat by poachers |
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Saturday, October 17, 2009
By Jan Khaskheli
Karachi
Local wildlife conservationists are grappling with a new threat where soft-shell turtles are being poached in Sindh.
Middlemen have developed networks and are supplying this water turtle species to urban centres for export. Reports received by The News from Nara valley lakes in district Sanghar reveal that precious soft-shell turtles are being hunted from lakes, scattered natural water ponds and water-logging drains near theChotiary Reservoir. Some experienced hunters dry this turtle’s meat and shell for sale.
World Wildlife Federation (WWF)-Pakistan Indus for All Programme’s field officer, Moula Bakhsh Mallah, said that some people involved in this trade are encouraging hunters and are collecting Soft-shell turtles from WWF-Pakistan project areas.
There are six species of marine and freshwater turtles in Sindh: leatherback turtles, green turtles, loggerhead turtles, hawksbills, tortoises, soft-shell turtles and oliver turtles.
Mallah said that poachers are backed by local influential people, and nobody can dare challenge them. The traders reportedly sell the turtles to markets in Lahore and Karachi, from there they are exported to China and other countries, he said.
It is the responsibility of government officials concerned to take action against people involved in this ugly trade, Mallah said, adding that earlier, traders would collect freshwater turtles from Afghanistan and bring them to Pakistan for export. Now, however, they have developed this business locally, and are destroying the native species.
Some local wildlife conservationists believe that the entire River Indus, and its tributaries and canals are supposed to be natural habitats of this turtle specie, which now is under threats due to increasing demand in urban centres.
The decline of the River Indus also plays a part in this trade. The devastation of communities living along the banks of this river has compelled them to shift their livelihood activities. Many of them are now destroying natural resources, cutting plants and hunting indigenous wildlife species to ease their financial woes.
Meanwhile, the trend of turtle-farming is yet to be introduced in Pakistan, nor have the government and major non-government organisations working for the wildlife conservation done anything in this regard. Soft-shell turtles are considered healthy as breeding stock, are not prone to diseases, and are suited to local weather conditions, wildlife conservationists said, adding that the promotion of turtle-farming can prevent poaching, and can introduce profitable businesses for farmers.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
