COS 1-1
Globalization and the commercial harvest of snapping turtles in the Mid-Atlantic: International export, harvest pressure, and regulatory strategies
An increasing global trade in a wildlife commodity presents complex challenges for resource managers. With the sharp decline of Asian turtle populations, commercial harvest and farming of US species has risen to fulfill this demand. One of the most commonly targeted species is the snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, where annual export eclipsed a million live individuals for the first time in 2012. As this figure does not include individuals butchered and exported as meat, it is clear that snapping turtles are facing unprecedented levels of harvest pressure, as well as supporting a growing farming industry. We examine the commercial export rates of snapping turtles, and harvest rates in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US (from the states of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina).
Results/Conclusions
Harvest in Virginia increased nearly ten-fold from 2002 to 2012 while Maryland averaged 125,873 lbs harvested from 2007 to 2012 and North Carolina experienced a doubling of harvest from 2011 to 2012. The sharp increases in snapping turtle take raises concerns over the long term sustainability of this slow-growing, long-lived species. Regulations on snapping turtle harvest vary greatly among states in regards to open/closed commercial harvest, season length, acceptable capture methods, and bag limits. We suggest that development of regional management plans, and re-assessment of current regulations, would provide a cost-effective method of improving snapping turtle conservation while maintaining a sustainable harvest.