Turtles in trouble: the worlds 25+ most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles 2011
Without concerted conservation action, many of the planet’s turtles and tortoises, iconic survivors from the Age of Dinosaurs, will become extinct within the next few decades. That’s according to a new report from the Turtle Conservation Coalition, a global alliance of conservation groups, including the IUCN Species Survival Commission's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG), which names the world’s 25 most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles.The report highlights that turtles in Asia have greatly suffered from decades of illegal and unsustainable trade, with 17 or the 25 most endangered turtles being found in Asia. Every tortoise and turtle species in Asia is being impacted in some manner by the international trade in turtles and turtle products, and laws and conventions in place to protect these animals are not being enforced effectively.