DAILY OKLAHOMAN (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) 05 April 08 Debate slows turtle harvesting (John David Sutter)
One of Oklahoma's two turtle farmers says he plans to shut down his business until more is known about the health of turtle populations in the state.
This comes on the heels of a petition filed last week by several environmental groups asking for an emergency stop to commercial turtle harvesting in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is one of only three states to allow the unregulated capture of wild turtles, the groups said.
Brent Fielder, of Osage County in northeast Oklahoma, said rumors about the petition and personal concerns about turtle conservation have pushed him to hold back his application to sell turtles this year.
“I would take any of the necessary steps to make sure the turtle population is where it needs to be,” Fielder said. “I'm worried about depletion (of turtle species), and I'd rather take a wait-and-see approach.”
Other turtle dealers disagree.
The state Wildlife Department issues permits to turtle trappers, but the permits allow unlimited harvesting. Turtle gatherers self-report the species they collect. That's an important detail, given the fact that Oklahoma is home to several turtles that have government protection, including the eastern Oklahoma's alligator snapping turtle, the largest freshwater turtle in North America. The turtle can grow to 250 pounds and is a federal candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
No surveys of turtle populations have been done in Oklahoma. A biologist with the Wildlife Department said that's common — but means the state can't asses its turtle stock.
Only one turtle farmer — Samuel Millard, in central Oklahoma's Seminole County — has applied to do business in the state in 2008, according to the Wildlife Department. In recent years, three turtle farmers have applied for the permits, department officials said. The third, Bob Gorrellof Chickasha, said he retired from the business because of health reasons.
While Fielder doesn't think turtles are being “slaughtered or anything like that,” he said he wants to wait to collect them until more is known about the state of the population.
On an average year, Fielder buys fewer than 10,000 turtles, he said, selling most of those to exporters in Louisiana.
Millard, who buys and sells more than 100,000 turtles per year, said there is no cause for alarm over turtles in Oklahoma.
“I really don't care if they go out and do studies on it,” he said. “They'll figure out that there's oodles of 'em. They can worry about it all they want. It's just like (plentiful populations of) deer and turkeys.”
Gorrell, the retired turtle farmer, agreed, saying there are millions of turtles in Oklahoma. He said the environmental groups are misguided.
“You really have no idea unless you live out there in the boondocks with 'em,” he said. “You don't know. There's no way (turtle populations) are ever going to get thinned out.” It's somewhat of a trend for states to tighten their turtle-protection laws. Last year, Texas banned turtle harvesting in public waters. Only three states — Oklahoma, Florida and Georgia — allow unlimited takes of turtles of any age and size. It's illegal in Oklahoma to catch or sell three protected aquatic species: the alligator snapping turtle, northern map turtle and western chicken turtle. In theory, lax laws in Oklahoma could send turtle farmers funneling into the state. Fielder says that's a concern of his — and that Oklahoma should consider increasing its regulations to keep pace. Millard isn't worried. He says he's got the experience to one-up any “newbie” turtle farmers. Millard said he doesn't buy or sell protected turtles. He specifically instructs his network of trappers not to catch them, either. But he has noticed two turtles — the razorback musk turtle and western painted turtle — that he says could warrant some type of protection. Most of Millard's turtles are exported to Asia. His biggest worry is that Chinese dealers will get enough of his turtles to start hatching Oklahoma's species themselves. Even though he sees abundant turtles of many types in streams and creeks here, Millard said floods last season sent the amphibians into hiding — giving him a slow business year.
Debate slows turtle harvesting