With habitat loss and the illegal pet trade which is menacing the existence of the already endangered Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur Kachuga) found in Ganga lowlands & Bangladesh, India has raised a proposal to the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora for the addition of the riverine species to Appendix I from current Appendix II.
The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices as per the degree of protection they need:
Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction
Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction but (where trade must be controlled)
Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES parties for assistance in controlling the trade
The 19th Conference of the Parties to CITES is being held from November 14 to 25 in 2022 in Panama. This year’s conference is being asked to consider stricter trade regulations for nearly six hundred species of animals and plants believed to be under increased threat of extinction from international trade. In what’s being seen as a barometer for the state of the world’s wildlife, just 9 species are being recommended for less restrictive trade regulations. The proposals have been put forward by Parties to the CITES to be reviewed at CoP19 in Panama.
Red-crowned Roofed Turtle
India had sent the suggestion ahead of the CITES’ nineteenth meeting. The turtle, native to India and Bangladesh, is at a high risk of extinction, it said. Currently in India, the National Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is the only area with a substantial population of the species, but even this Protected Area and habitat are under threat. Historically, this turtle was found in central Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh and Burma.
Threats: What does IUCN Red List say?
As the main river turtle, the species is highly susceptible to major hydrological projects and their impacts on river flow dynamics and nesting beaches, and water pollution. Since human activities on and along the river are disturbing, the entanglement in fishing nets has led to a significant impact on subpopulations.
Degradation of habitat due to pollution and large-scale development activities like water extraction for human consumption and irrigation and irregular flow from the upstream dams and reservoirs are the main threats to these species.
WhatsApp us