China the top destination for trafficked sea turtles, study finds
- Scientists say Vietnam is biggest source of poached turtles, while nearly 90 per cent of the marine reptiles end up in China or Japan
- Illegal exploitation has dropped over the past decade, but researcher warns downward trend could reverse if demand remains high
More than 1.1 million sea turtles were illegally killed over the past three decades, and China and Japan were the top destinations for trafficked turtle products, according to a new study.
According to the first global assessment of the illegal exploitation of marine turtles, China and Japan received 46 and 43 per cent of traded turtles, respectively.
The researchers identified Vietnam as the top source of sea turtle trafficking, and Vietnam to China was the most common trafficking route between 1990 and 2020. Nearly 43,000 turtles were traded internationally in those 30 years, according to the article published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Change Biology last week.
“In China and Vietnam, whole stuffed turtles are seen as a symbol of status and wealth, while tortoiseshell products are a traditional component of Japanese dress and remain highly valued,” said Jesse Senko, co-first author of the study and an assistant research professor at Arizona State University.
The endangered green turtle was the most exploited species, accounting for 56 per cent of trafficked marine turtles, followed by the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle at 39 per cent.
Green turtles are hunted for human consumption and their parts, while hawksbills are in demand for their brown and yellow carapace, which can be made into jewellery and ornaments, according to the WWF.
The researchers said Vietnamese authorities in 2014 seized 7,000 turtle carcasses in a warehouse – the single largest seizure of marine turtles ever recorded. They were mostly taxidermied hawksbill turtles thought to be bound for sale in China, according to the study.