Taiwan Strives to Conserve Rare Turtles

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

By WALLY SANTANA

PENGHU, Taiwan (AP) - People once thought nothing of killing the green turtles on these islands for their meat and eggs, decimating the rare species' ranks along the way. But local efforts to save the creatures - through a nesting reserve, a veterinary clinic and even a beach patrol - still aren't guaranteed to revive the species' numbers, authorities say.


A young green turtle swims in a holding tank at the Turtle Conservation Center on Wanan Island, part of the Penghu archipelago off western Taiwan, Wednesday, July 25, 2007. Mass killings have decimated the ranks of green turtles on the offshore Taiwanese islands of Penghu, but now locals are working hard to preserve the rare species from further devastation. There are only about 200,000 of the creatures world wide, of which about 100 are on Penghu, a collection of picturesque islets about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the western Taiwanese coast. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Worldwide, there are only about 200,000 of the green turtles, conservationists say. Fewer than 20 females have been laying eggs on Penghu, a collection of picturesque islets about 25 miles off the western Taiwanese coast.

Green turtles are large hard-shelled sea turtles, an endangered species protected by conservation laws in many countries. They get the name from the greenish color of their bodies, rather than the color of their shells, which varies from black to yellow to brown.

Penghu's great green turtle die-off reached its peak 20 years ago, when residents and visitors killed them in great numbers.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070728/D8QLHKRG0.html

[shenmue]

1. I hope they can save them

It'd be a shame if we should lose something else that's beautiful just because somebody wanted a snack or a good luck charm. People can find other things to eat.