Earlier in the weekend, I posted a report about sea turtles as endangered species very critical to the survival of ocean habitats. Hence the urgent need to protect them.
The picture above shows a sea turtle being strapped on a motorbike for sale. This is an example of the very many unsustainable acts of humans towards animals which environmental conservationists condemns. A paradigm shift is highly needed to live sustainably with nature for the future.
The sea turtle as seen in the picture was found on display by a Teacher in a market at Iwerekun, Lagos. It was gathered that it was to be sold at the rate of 17,000 naira.
The lady immediately called conservation officials for the sole purpose of rescuing the endangered animal.
According to the lady, Mrs. Emmanuel, who works in an A-list secondary school in Ajah, she said:
" I was in the market when I saw the sea turtle. As a trained teacher conservationist, I quickly informed the conservation officials. They came around to track the seller in order to rescue the turtle but to no avail. It's up for sale at the rate of 17000. The market for this is always on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Iwerekun".
Reacting to the development, a conservationist (name witheld), appreciated the efforts of the lady who reported the incident. She said:
" I thank her for the crucial information. A team was swiftly deployed to the location. We hoped we would find him there but unfortunately, we did not. During the rescue mission, we got to know that the man in question is a serial trader of sea turtles who also have a boat used to catch the harmless turtles in a secret beach at night. Even if we rescued the one reported and leave, he would still continue because of our weak laws and that's why we are working with the Federal Ministry of Environment and The National Assembly to to update obsolete laws as regard animal cruelty".
Another conservation organization, FABE International Foundation, reacted to the development via their Facebook advocacy on sea turtles tagged "Turtle Tuesday"
"Some cultures in Nigeria believes that eating sea turtles leads to a long life.
Others believe their eggs are aphrodisiacs.
While in some parts of the world, sea turtles are used for ceremonial purposes. Their shells and skins are also used to make a variety of objects like jewelry, sunglasses, tourist trinkets, instruments, and wall hangings. The hawksbill in particular is valued for its shell which is used for ornamental purposes.
Irrespective of what we all believe, all 7 species of sea turtles are at risk of consumption or illegal trade for their meat, eggs, or shell.
And we understand the reality in some coastal communities in the developing world including Nigeria that people may not have access to jobs that can sustain their families.
Our view is not that people who collect turtle eggs to sell or consume or hunt them for their meat are bad people; deciding between feeding one's family and protecting a wild animal is a difficult decision.
Our hope is to help residents who live near turtle habitat see opportunities that will help them earn income from tourism, recycling, upcycling and or involvement in conservation efforts.
Lack of enforcement and public awareness are particularly problematic when it comes to illegal trade. Monitoring illegal trade can be impossible sometimes but many conservation programs are already implementing projects and more projects can be implemented to bring more money to local communities in tourism money than they would receive from harvesting these sea animals.
CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is an international agreement between countries that aims to protect species from extinction as a result of trade".
It is hoped that someday, humanity will think environmental protection first above poverty.
Quite unfortunate 😕
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