Legal or Illegal Harvesting of Costa Rica Sea Turtles – Turtle Poll

If you are over 50, have traveled a lot or lived in Latin America, particularly the coastal areas you ate turtle. Sea Turtle is an awesome tasting seafood, whose bright-red bloody meat would turn angel white just seconds after hitting a fry pan that was lightly seasoned in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Turtle meat and eggs are a delicacy and a way of life in many countries, including Costa Rica. The eggs are richer tasting than chicken eggs and packed in protein.

Chevy (nickname), a long time friend, remembers when growing up in San Juanillo (south of Tamarindo, Costa Rica) in the late 1960s,  his mom would send him and his little sister to the beach to get turtle eggs.  They would come back with a basket filled within 15 to thirty minutes. When he got into his teen years and when he needed money, would fill up a bunch of baskets and sell them to local markets, restaurants and street vendors.

Nobody thought about conservation back then, but since the mid 1970s times have changed for the turtle.  With worldwide eco-protection  – now the demand for turtle and it’s eggs has increased to epidemic poaching.

• A few months ago, on eBay, hundreds of pieces of jewelry, shells and other products made from endangered sea turtles were found for sale on the Internet auction site. All of these items, including jewelry, guitar picks, cigarette cases and other decorative ornaments, were being sold through at least 30 separate eBay auctions.

• Acting on a tip, in late July, 2010, customs officials in Brunei (South East Asia) confiscated 4,150 illegal turtle eggs and arrested two men. It was the largest turtle egg seizure so far that year. Most of the eggs were from the Leatherback Turtle, which is on the Critically Endangered list.

• In Acapulco, in May, 2010, Mexican authorities seized nearly 6,000 sea turtle eggs and arrested two people. In August 2010, Mexican authorities caught six people with 3,756 illegally harvested eggs from the protected Olive Ridley turtle in the coastal town of Guerrero, east of the resort city of Acapulco.

… read more and take the Turtle Poll on Poaching of Costa Rica Sea Turtle EggsSimilar Posts:

• Costa Rica Sea Turtle Extinction – Harvesting or Stealing
• SuperSized Turtles in San Diego Bay
• World Environment Day- June 5 2010 -Saving Gorillas
• No Tigers Left-

Similar Posts:

• Costa Rica Sea Turtle Extinction – Harvesting or Stealing
• SuperSized Turtles in San Diego Bay
• World Environment Day- June 5 2010 -Saving Gorillas
• No Tigers Left-
• Chevron’s CEO Files Charges Against Activists

Read more at Green Eco Services