Katrina,



You are wrong. The sale of one turtle or one herp is commercial. Every species has sustainable harvest amount. Once that species is harvested it doesn't matter what you do with the animal. Now, the problem with the box turtle situation is that academics and others have been pushing an agenda. Almost every paper used to push this agenda is filled with assumption, opinion and data skewing. Box turtles may not be able to sustain a high rate of collection but the answer is reasonable bag limits, PERIOD! The data used to determine this must come from the state in question not a paper written about a fringe population at the extent of a species range. We need to stop over-harvest. As long as development and roads are taking their toll then collection and sale should be allowed. Protecting a species just for the sake of protection is wrong. Tying the hands of hobbyists who preserve genetics in captivity is wrong. You need to get over this commercial harvest is bad rhetoric. Over-collection is bad NOT commercial sale.



Mike Welker

El Paso, TX

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