Endangered marine, land and water turtles are regularly being hunted and their meat are being sold openly in many markets across the country, although one species have already become extinct and some are waiting for same fate. Turtles are being sold in the market in the capital and elsewhere although killing of any endangered wild animal, including all types of turtles, is illegal said campaigners.
They said that a number of species would become extinct if the illegal hunt and sale of turtles were not stopped.
The Sylhet roofed turtle species have already become extinct and species like tent turtle, roofed turtle, peacock softshell, spotted flapshell, northern river terrapin and black softshell turtle are also on the verge of extinction, they added.
In Bangladesh there are 30 species of turtles, 10 percent of the total turtle species across the world.
A large network of 250 turtle traders controlling the hunting, collection and and trading of turtles in the country, said sources concerned.
Turtles and their meat are being sold in different areas in the capital including Tanti Bazar of Old Dhaka, Farmgate and Monipur area in Mirpur.
The traders said that they usually brought turtles from places including Narayanganj, Comilla, Chittagong, Barisal, Patuakhali, Bagerhat to the capital.
A turtle market takes place on every Friday morning at Tanti Bazar of Old Dhaka where the turtles are butchered and their meat, limbs and organs are sold. The meat sells for between Tk 400 to Tk 1200 per kilogram, depending on the species.
A trader of the turtle market, Subir, said that several hundred kilograms of turtle meat were usually sold at the market on every Friday.
The demand for turtle meat goes very high during the Kali Puja, as majority of Hindu population consume turtle meat in the belief that they would get its strength and longevity, Subir said.
Campaigners said that around one lakh pieces of turtles were usually hunted and sold only during a Kali Puja.
Subir said that he continued with the business knowing that it was illegal, as there was huge demand for turtle meat in the country.
After collecting the meat, the traders clean the shells and sell the dried shells to pharmaceutical companies to make capsules.
These dry shells are also processed and fed to fish and chicken, said Subir.
The Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation and Protection) Act 2012, states that killing of any endangered wild animal, including all types of turtles will be a punishable offence, said Centre for Advanced Research in Natural Resources and Management chief executive SMA Rashid.
‘Every year 7-10 lakh kilograms of turtles of land, fresh water and sea are hunted,’ he said.
‘Due to the heavy number of death the numbers of turtles are significantly decreasing and many species of turtles have become endangered,’ he added.
According to a survey conducted by the centre in 2010, fishermen collect the turtles and sell them to wholesalers and later retail traders buy the turtles from them and slaughter and sell these animals in many markets of the country.
The survey found 102 markets in Khulna and Barisal division. In every market at least seven traders were found and 200/300 turtles were sold by each trader.
The Forest Department is primarily responsible to stop the illegal trade.
Deputy conservator of forest Asit Ranjan Pal admitted that turtle were sold in the open market.
‘We are aware of this, but due to a lack of manpower we cannot stop these heinous activities,’ he said.
He also emphasised on mass awareness to save turtles.
Kotowali police officer-in-charge Shah Alam told New Age that he did not have any information regarding the turtle market. He, however, said that necessary action would be taken if complaint was lodged.
-With New Age input
