The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently proposed new rules to protect at-risk turtles targeted for the pet trade and harvested for their meat, which is used in turtle soup.
The new rules would place common snapping turtles, along with other freshwater turtles including Florida softshell turtles, smooth softshell turtles and spiny softshell turtles, on an international endangered species list.
Granting these turtles endangered status would allow the FWS to monitor international trade that threatens their adult survivalship. According to FWS records, more than 811,000 snapping turtles were exported in 2011.
Please sign the petition to urge the FWS to move forward with their proposal to add these freshwater turtles to the endangered species list!
We, the undersigned, are writing to support the new rules you recently proposed to protect at-risk turtles targeted for the pet trade and harvested for their meat,
We understand the new rules would place common snapping turtles, along with other freshwater turtles including Florida softshell turtles, smooth softshell turtles and spiny softshell turtles, on an international endangered species list so you could monitor the international turtle trade which affects many hundreds of thousands of turtles every year.
We admire your aspirations to protect these turtles before it's too late. We respectfully urge you to move forward with your proposal to add these freshwater turtles to the endangered species list. Thank you for taking time to read and consider our petition.
