ONE MAN’S MEAT: A turtle harpooned by poachers

The turtle population of India is under threat because Bengal will not stop consumption of turtle meat. The charge was levelled at a meet by officials of the Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) on Tuesday.

“Freshwater turtles have become extinct in Bengal in the past 10 years. Now, every turtle consignment seized elsewhere is headed here,” says Biswajit Mohanty, the secretary of WSO and a member of the government’s National Board for Wildlife. The NGO works for the preservation of freshwater turtles in the Mahanadi basin.

In Mohanty’s estimate, two to three quintals of turtles are transported out of Orissa every week. “Mind you, I am speaking only of the Mahanadi basin. The number will be more if we take into account the turtle population in the other rivers.” Poaching takes place round the year, except in monsoon.

He points out that poaching has been reported in Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even Punjab — all targeted at Bengal markets.

“Earlier, poachers from Bengal used to camp near nesting sites in Orissa. Once they caught enough, mini trucks were filled up. The local fishermen’s society was paid Rs 200-300 to keep quiet. They used a variety of killing devices — floating hooks, harpoons and baits.”

Now the poachers buy turtles at Rs 40-50 a kg and the catch is sent here by road, usually on passenger buses. “Last week itself, three quintals of Indian flap-shelled turtles were seized outside Bhubaneswar.”

While districts bordering Orissa, like the Midnapores, are major consumers, Calcutta too has not given up turtle meat. “Since 2001, about 7,000 turtles have been rescued in the city. Add to that turtle meat, sold mostly in Kidderpore, Jadavpur, Galiff Street and Rajabazar markets,” said V.K. Yadav, the state’s deputy chief wildlife warden (western circle), on being contacted by Metro. Turtles are also exported to Bangladesh, en route to the Far East.

While WSO blamed the Bengal government for not working to kill the demand, Yadav responded that four wildlife vigilance squads were there to keep an eye on illegal sale of birds and animals.

“We made posters to create awareness and interacted with secretaries of markets to stop sale of turtle meat. Six years ago, it was sold openly, but not any more.”

If Bengal stands guilty of turtle destruction, a local company is doing its bit to make amends. Funded by apparel major Turtle, WSO has started work in downstream Mahanadi. “Thanks to our efforts over three years, the turtle population upstream has stabilised. Now, we are concentrating on a downstream survey using this fund and hope to be equally successful, if only demand across the border can be killed.”