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While Orissa’s Olive Ridley turtles hog the limelight for being the target of illegal trawler fishing, the rampant killing of large numbers of freshwater turtles and tortoises in Assam goes unnoticed. Of the 26 species of non-marine turtles and tortoises in India, 19 are found in the northeast region, making this area an important repository for these gentle creatures.

Most endangered is the Ganges soft-shell turtle (Trionyx gangeticus), found mainly in Barak valley; the species is on the verge of extinction. Once a sanctuary for rare turtles, Barak valley in south Assam has become a death trap where turtles are indiscriminately hunted due to growing demand for their meat. “Due to lack of awareness, these turtles are being preyed upon by people for their meat which is considered a delicacy here. If this trend continues, these creatures will soon be a thing of the past,” says A Gupta, reader of the department of ecology at Assam Central University.

Ramu Das, a trapper in south Assam’s Cachar district, who sells turtles to traders in Silchar’s Fatak Bazaar, one of the largest markets in the state, says: “The demand for turtle meat is huge. Young turtles that weigh less than 200 grams fetch a high price in the market, and a kilogram of meat is priced at around Rs 300.” Das admits he sells up to 10 turtles every day, fetching him a cool Rs 3,000. To fulfil the insatiable demand for turtle meat in Assam, traders in the state have begun teaming up with wildlife smugglers in Kanpur, an industrial city in Uttar Pradesh.

SOURCE: Infochange India

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