State trying to save turtle population

Millions of turtles are disappearing from South Carolina's waterways and ending up on plates on the other side of the world.

Trying to protect the state's house-wearing natural resource, several groups and citizens have lobbied for new legislation to stop the transportation of turtles.

Championing the bill in the House is Rep. Tom Young (R-Aiken).

"I think the bill should pass, it is needed to protect the national turtle population," Young said. "This is an important piece of legislation to SREL and other concerned citizens of the area."

Heading this charge have been researcher from the Savannah River Ecology Lab, including herpetologist Kurt Buhlmann.

Between 2002 and 2005, 31 million turtles were exported from the United States, according to Buhlmann.

The legislation would protect several species of turtle from being transported in quantities greater than 10. Individuals taking thousands of turtles from single sites in the state have been reported.

"It seems like a smart rule - no one in South Carolina is benefitting from natural resources being pillaged and shipped out of the country for food," said Buhlmann.

The bill has not encountered any opposition, and it may not.

Buhlmann said that there is no real benefit for citizens of South Carolina. Those who take the turtles do not pay South Carolina and no proceeds from there sale return to the state.

The southeastern United States is the second most diverse area for turtles in the world, after Southeast Asia.

The problem with harvesting turtles for food is the length of time the slow-growing creature needs to repopulate.

Unlike deer or other regularly hunted animals, turtles have to survive 50-60 years to reproduce themselves.

"An individual turtle takes such a long time to reach maturity - like a human being," Buhlmann said. "Eggs and hatchlings have such a low survival rate."

This week an agriculture subcommittee voted unanimously, 7-0, to recommend the bill to the full committee, Young said. If the agriculture committee approves it this coming week, then the full house would get it the week beginning Feb. 16.