still for sale - marine turtles

[Mario Schweiger]

On May, 23rd I took this picture in a souvenir shop in Malinska, island Krk, Croatia.
You can see stuffed Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata.
Although forbidden to catch and deal with in Croatia too since many years, these marine turtles are still for sale!
About 100 Euro each.

Caretta caretta and Eretmochelys imbricata

Mario

[Ilian Velikov]

I hate seeing things like this! Since it's forbbiden, did you call someone that can do something about it? Here in Bulgaria the illegal trade with wild cought reptiles and amphibians(imported and native) isn't rare,too! The worst is you can't do anything because our laws suck!

[Mario Schweiger]

Ilian,

I have sent the link of this topic to a friend/colleguage in Zagreb, asking him for help.

Another thing:
In Croatia it is strictly forbidden, to handle herps for pictures.
Before about 2 weeks, 2 Dutch guys should pay 7.000 Kuna (=about 1.000 Euro) for handling a tortoise (Testudo hermanni) in the nature reserve near Bale, west Istria, Croatia.
But you may get the permission to do this substitutional for giving the data of the animals found (at least in the park office there).
A few days later, the ranger of the reserve showed my friends (Germans, not the Dutch), together with some local policemen, a underwater trap in the reserve. About 20 dead, drunken Emys orbicularis together with two eels have been in!
The trap was for illegal fishing in the reserve for sure!

Mario

[Ilian Velikov]

Pitty for the lost animals! There are poachers everywhere... Still, it's great that someone is trying to do something, protecting the reserve,making the right laws,etc. I can't imagine what's happening in places where there are no such people and no such laws!

Regards
Ilian

[Mario Schweiger]

Good news!

Before a few minutes I´ve got this email text:

"The senior inspector Ivanka Jelenic from Rijeka visited the shop
in Malinska this Saturday. She found the turtles, took them away,
and started further legal procedure.
Thanks once again."

Mario

[Ilian Velikov]

That's great! Nice to have people that react so fast to signals like this one! I think everyone, nomatter biologist or not, should inform the right people for illegal trade or stuff like this! The institutions need the help of the people to fight the bad guys! Good job,Mario!

[Vlad Cioflec]

Great news Mario!

[Miqe Erikzen]

Good news, Mario!

It allways feels good, when you actually make a different. Even if it´s not that big.

[Mario Schweiger]

The turtles are now in the Inspectorate for Nature Protection in Rijeka.



This is from the official webpage of the Ministry of Culture
of the Republic of Croatia, so the confirmation is serious:

"U subotu 30. svibnja 2009. godine na osnovu više prijava inspekcija zaštite prirode obavila je nadzor jedne maloprodajne trgovine u Malinskoj na otoku Krku.
Nadzorom je utvrđeno da se prodaju više vrsta prepariranih kornjača, a radi se o strogo zaštićenim primjercima sa Priloga I. Pravilnika o prekograničnom prometu i trgovini zaštićenim vrstama (zelena želva – Chelonia mydas; glavata želva - Caretta caretta i karetna želva – Eretmochelys imbricata). Osim kornjača u prodaji se nalazio i jedan primjerak prepariranog morskog psa za kojeg će se provesti postupak determinacije."
http://www.min-kulture.hr/novost/default.aspx?id=4901

Mario