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Shi, H.-T. S., O’Connell, D., Parham, J. F., & Buley, K. R. , An action plan for turtle conservation in china and a brief introduction to turtle conservation and research efforts in china. Paper presented at Turtle Survival Alliance 2007 Annual Meeting. 
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (01 Jan 2009 23:10:44 UTC)
Resource type: Proceedings Article
BibTeX citation key: Shi2007
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Categories: General
Keywords: Cuora, Cuora galbinifrons, Cuora mouhotii, Geoemydidae, Habitat = habitat, Mauremys, Mauremys sinensis, Rafetus, Rafetus swinhoei, Sacalia, Sacalia quadriocellata, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Südostasien = South East Asia, Testudinidae, Testudo, Testudo horsfieldii, Trionychidae
Creators: Buley, O’Connell, Parham, Shi
Collection: Turtle Survival Alliance 2007 Annual Meeting
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Views index: 16%
Popularity index: 4%
Abstract     
Action Plan: China has a rich turtle fauna; there are around 30 native species. However, turtles have been exploited in China as food and for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. In recent times this exploitation has become unsustainable. Unfortunately, there is a lack of distribution and taxonomy information. There is also a lack of basic ecological data for 90% of the species in China, and although less than 25% of species are listed as ‘State Major Protected Wildlife,’ all are endangered. In recent years the majority of turtles sold in Chinese markets are imported, indicating that the Chinese turtle trade is now also impacting turtle populations in other Asian countries and beyond. Effective legislation and enforcement for trade control is difficult due to insufficient survey data and the lack of a practical identification manual. Meanwhile, the business of captive breeding turtles in China has been growing surreptitiously with an uncertain impact on turtle conservation and trade. Conservation education is seriously inadequate, most Chinese people are unaware of the critical status of turtles and so turtle conservation is given a very low priority. Consequently there is a desperate need for an integrated and specifically targeted approach to turtle conservation in China. This Action Plan includes 1.Capacity Building: Developing and supporting the scientific community in China and encouraging appropriate programs of research, training and collaboration on turtle conservation; 2. Research: Formulate a research plan, develop a network of turtle researchers and encourage young scientists to become turtle experts; 3. Trade Monitoring: Clarification of the status of the turtle trade, adoption of relevant measures to enhance enforcement and monitor changes in the trade tendencies. Development of a practical identification manual for Chinese officials and biologists; 4. Legislation: Lobby relevant government officials to modify existing laws and propose new regulations to minimize the conflicts to turtle conservation among different legislations; 5. Captive Breeding: Clarify the status of captive breeding and its influence on wild populations, enhance effective management and guidance; 6. Rescue Centers: Establish 2-3 turtle rescue centers in South China; 7. Nature Reserves: Establish 3-5 nature reserves in areas of high turtle diversity in southern China; 8. Education: Design of an education plan, a set of effective education materials and an extensive education campaign across a wide sector of the public and wildlife and government officials. Our efforts: Conservation education includes informing middle school students, rangers and officials in nature reserves and local and provincial forestry bureaus, turtle dealers, and custom workers. We also publish many reports in popular magazines and newspapers in order to educate the general public. Through presentations other zoologists, ecologists and conservationists we are able to convey the reality of the situation in. We also publish scientific papers on our findings such as the resolution of systematic issues, the scale of turtle farming , and data on the actual nutrient value of turtles (e.g., a debunking of TCM claims). Our scientific research includes gathering and analyzing data on the ecology of Sacalia quadriocellata, Ocadia sinensis, Cuora galbinifrons, and Testudo horsfieldii; The captive breeding of S. quadriocellata. We are also initiating a project on the ecology of Cuora mouhotii. Our efforts include investigations on the distribution and taxonomy of Chinese turtles,and surveying the wild population of Rafetus swinhoei. We have recently begun studying the impact of invasivespecies, especially the red-eared slider. Capacity building efforts include the training of one Ph.D students, five M.Sc. students, and fifty undergraduate students. We strive to ally with more turtle researchers and other herpetologists to engage in turtle research and conservation. We presently receive support from different orgnizations and personals, for example NSFC, KFBG, EAZA, Shellshock, RSPCA and many others. We aid legislation and enforcement efforts by providing free identification of turtle species from illegal trade activities. We are in the process of finishing an identification manual that will be circulated among custom workers, rangers, and officials in nature reserves as well as herpetologists, zoologists, and ecologists and their graduate students. We have been striving to list all Chinese turtle species as State Major Protected Species. We have been commissioned by Chinese CITES Office to furnish a resolution to list all non-CITES turtle species into CITES appendix III. Finally, our surveys of the captive breeding and trade of Chinese turtles has helped reveal the huge scale of commercial turtle ranching as well as its negative impact for turtle conservation.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich  
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