Trading endangered species: Court orders release of 200 smuggled turtles into River Indus

First time a case for turtles is being pursued in court, say officials.


Sameer Mandhro September 29, 2014

KARACHI:


Around 200 black-pond turtles that were seized from Jinnah airport on September 20 will be released in their original habitat, River Indus, this week, according to the court orders issued on Monday.


Currently, the endangered turtles are in the possession of the Sindh wildlife department and will be released most likely by Thursday, assured wildlife officials. The man, Sajid Cheema, who was taken into custody for the smuggling attempt is on bail.

Cheema, a young boy in his 30s, hails from Gujranwala and currently resides in Bangkok. He was en route from Lahore to Bangkok via Karachi when the customs officials stopped him at Jinnah International Airport and seized the freshwater turtles.



During the hearing on Monday at the Malir Courts, judicial magistrate Abdul Qayoom heard advocate Sallahuddin Panhwar's arguments and ordered the wildlife department officials to immediately release the turtles in the presence of the media and other organisations.

An official told The Express Tribune that almost 90 per cent freshwater turtles, who he believes are natural scavengers, have disappeared from Sindh. "The trade is at its peak for the last 15 years," said the provincial conservator of the wildlife department, Javed Ahmed Mahar. "This case will end this illegal trade," he hoped.

A large number of officials of the wildlife department, World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan), and others attended the historical hearing. They said that it is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a case for live turtles is being persuaded. "This case is of international importance," commented WWF-Pakistan's Umair Shahid. "The trade of all endangered species should be stopped now," he urged.

Altaf Hussain Shaikh, another official of WWF-Pakistan, said that the disappearance of freshwater turtles have brought uncountable losses to our environment. Healthy fish is a sign of the presence of turtles, he added. "The service of a single turtle is equal to a one-day wage of a labour," said Shaikh, adding that the decision in this case will be a precedent for wildlife officials against the illegal trade.

"I hope this case will eliminate illegal trade at least in Sindh," said Mahar.

A total of 218 black-pond turtles were seized but 14 of them died, according to wildlife officials. Cheema was carrying the turtles in briefcases and, according to a wildlife official, eight of them died due to suffocation.

'Smuggler' not too worried

"I'll lodge a case against the Sindh Wildlife Department," claimed Cheema outside the court. "They have killed 30 of my turtles," he told The Express Tribune. Though Cheema has confessed to the crime but he said he is not too worried as the law against his alleged crime was weak. "How much can the court charge as fine? Not more than Rs150,000," he smiled. He said he found the turtles in a jungle. "We collected them one by one," his companion, Mansoor Ahmed, who is also involved in animal trade, interrupted.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials and other environment organisations are committed to using this case as an example for all the people involved in this illegal trade. "This person should be given maximum punishment," claimed Mahera Omar, the director of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society. "These are protected animals and we are lucky to have such species in our waters," she added. The provincial wildlife department had included turtles and tortoises in the protected animals' list on September 19 and Cheema was caught with turtles the very next day. The next hearing of this case is on October 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2014.

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