The battle to bring freshwater turtles back from the brink

• Recently, West Bengal Police seized 270 kg of turtle calipee (a gelatinous layer found in the lower shells of turtles, used in traditional Chinese medicine).
• Ten days earlier, Uttar Pradesh Forest Department officials recovered a total of 789 Indian flapshell turtles and softshell turtles.

Initiative to curb turtle smuggling

• Recently, the COP adopted India’s proposal to transfer two species of freshwater turtles found in the country to Appendix I of CITES.
• Red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga)
• Leith’s Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia leithii) —
• Important at a time when illegal trade is threatening their natural habitats.

Turtle species in India

• India has 29 species of freshwater turtles (24) and tortoises (5).
• Turtles are primarily aquatic whereas tortoises are terrestrial.

Anti-trafficking operations

• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
• A statutory body
• To prevent wildlife trafficking in the country
• Carried out a pan-India crackdown on turtle smuggling
• ‘Operation Save Kurma’
• Between December 2016 and January 2017
• To prevent poaching, transportation and illegal trade of live turtles and tortoises.
• ‘Operation Turtshield
• To tackle the illegal trade of live turtles.

Prelims Takeaway

• Operation Save Kurma
• WCCB
• CITES
• COP