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Mexico's sea turtles in danger - Greenpeace |
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| MEXICO: June 17, 2002 | ||
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MEXICO CITY - Environmentalists said last week that the Mexican government must do more to stop the illegal slaughter of some 35,000 sea turtles each year in the northern border state of Baja California.
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Juan Carlos Cantu, a Greenpeace activist, said Profepa, Mexico's government environmental enforcement agency, is disregarding Mexican law and international protection treaties by not cracking down on poachers that kill the endangered species and sell the meat. The black turtles nest on the beaches of the central western state of Michoacan and swim to the Baja California peninsula to find food. "It's absurd that there are conservation and observation efforts on the nesting beaches, while in the places where they feed, these species are in a no man's land," Cantu said. Experts say the turtle meat is sold on the black market in northern cities like Tijuana and exported to the United States. Greenpeace said in cities one kilo (2.2 pounds) of the meat fetches 300 to 400 pesos ($30-$40). One turtle provides between 110 and 220 pounds (50-100 kg) of meat. "Why hasn't Profepa taken any measures with respect to this? It's clear that we're not only facing a violation of the law, but a serious threat to the ocean ecosystem," Cantu said in a press release.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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