On the Trail - Robin des Bois

state of Tamil Nadu created the Gulf of Mannar
Biosphere Reserve, which endorses the diversification
of the means of providing for local populations
and managing in an efficient manner the resources
of the coast. The program has provided positive
results, allowing the coral reefs to grow.
Golf of Mannar© Property Direction
10.043 live turtles seized
Kolkata Airport, State of West Bengal, India
July 18 th 2013
The 10.043 live baby turtles were discovered in 3
bags. They belonged to different exotic species,
including sea turtles. The seizure value is estimated
to US$ 100,000. The 2 smugglers based in Chennai
arrived from Guangzhou, China, and were going
to Singapore via Kolkata. The rescued turtles have
been taken to the Centre for Wildlife of the West
Bengal Forest Department in Salt Lake. More than
100 turtles died on the way to the centre. On April
30th 2013, 21 live Indian Star turtles (Geochelone
elegans, Appendix II) carefully packed for a long trip
to Chennai were seized in that same airport. Their
final destination is unknown.
GANG
8 people arrested on charges of illegal poaching
and trade of endangered sea turtles and their
parts for human consumption
State of Puerto Rico, United States
July 18 th 2013
The 8 accomplices, all residents from the 2 cities,
were running a kind of butcher shop specialised in
turtle meat. The string of arrests followed an investigation
started in 2011 with undercover special
agents. They took place in the cities of Arroyo and
Patilla in the southwest part of the island. DNA analysis
conducted on the meat showed that at least
22 endangered individual turtles, 15 hawksbill sea
turtles (Eretmochelys imbricate, Appendix I) and 7
green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Appendix I) were
on sale. This successful investigation was led by the
US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), with assistance
from the recently formed Puerto Rico Environmental
Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, the
Puerto Rico Police Department and the Puerto Rico
Department of Natural Resources. This seizure is
the first achievement of the recently formed Puerto
Rico Environmental Crimes Task Force, a new law
enforcement entity of which purpose is to investigate
environmental crimes on the island ensuring
coordination between the different police services
and prosecutors. Its aim is also to improve public
knowledge of endangered fauna and flora species
and environment protection legislation. Puerto
Rico has the largest hawksbill sea turtles nesting
site of USA.
© Bruno Congar, Robin des Bois
A few of the 10 000 seized turtles © NTD
Seizure of a live Indian star tortoise (Geochelone
elegans, Appendix II)
Train station Thiruvananthapuram, State of Kerala,
India
July 21, 2013
Thiruvananthapuram is Kerala’s State Capital. 3
men were arrested. The Indian Star Tortoise was
seized from the luggage of a passenger at the station’s
exit. The turtle weighed about 1kg. They had
come to sell the tortoise. They allegedly found and
poached the reptile during a swim in the Aliyar River
near Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. The authorities doubt
their story. This species of aquatic tortoise is highly
prized by collectors. It is found in India, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka. It can fetch up to US $ 1,000 in the
United States. In India, 21 tortoises of this species
were seized at Kolkata airport on April 30, 2013 and
50 in Karnataka State on May 23.
13
On The Trail # 2. Robin des Bois