Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Saturday, Jun 10, 2023

‘Drastic decline’ in 3 of Hong Kong’s freshwater turtle species, study finds

‘Drastic decline’ in 3 of Hong Kong’s freshwater turtle species, study finds

Lingnan University finds drop in populations of golden coin turtles, big-headed turtles and Beale’s eyed turtles.

Populations of three endangered turtle species in Hong Kong have declined drastically, a study has found, with researchers warning they could become extinct within three to five years if wildlife trafficking is not brought under control.

Researchers from Lingnan University published their findings on Tuesday, noting the city was the last stronghold in the world for the three species of freshwater turtles.

The golden coin turtle and big-headed turtle are considered critically endangered, with their global population having dropped by 80 per cent or more, while the number of Beale’s eyed turtles has fallen by an estimated 50 to 70 per cent.

A golden coin turtle. No golden coin turtle hatchlings were found during the survey.


“Wild freshwater turtles have disappeared across most of mainland China,” said Jonathan Fong, an assistant professor of conservation science at the university.

“The small populations that remain in Hong Kong represent a unique opportunity for conservation collaboration across the Greater Bay Area.”

The bay area refers to the central government’s scheme to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine southern Chinese cities into an economic and business hub.

The researchers released their findings on World Turtle Day, which aims to help raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the animals as their habitats diminish.

The university carried out distribution surveys and population detections at about 100 sites across the city that could be habitats for the turtles, such as country parks, rivers and streams.

Sung Yik-hei, an assistant herpetology professor at the university, said no golden coin turtle hatchlings were found during the survey.

Professor Sung Yik-hei holds a golden coin turtle (left) and a beale’s eyed turtle.


He said the species could have become functionally extinct in Hong Kong, meaning the surviving turtles were no longer viable and able to play a role in the city’s ecosystem.

At nearly 90 per cent of the study sites, there were either no sightings of the wild big-headed and Beale’s eyed turtles or only one was detected, down from a few dozen when the project started in 2009.

Poachers and turtle traps were found in all the study sites using infrared cameras, Sung added.

“There could be only several hundred adult big-headed turtles and fewer than a hundred adult Beale’s eyed turtles left in the wild in Hong Kong,” he said. “If the current hunting activities continue, Hong Kong’s freshwater turtle population could become extinct within three to five years.”

Researchers observed a “drastic decline” in the populations of the three species over the past five years. Sung said that could be due to an increased interest in the turtles as food or pets.

Such shelled reptiles, especially the golden coin turtle, are believed to have healing and aphrodisiac properties in Chinese folk medicine. They are usually consumed as soup or gelatin dessert.

Sung explained that the turtle population had faced difficulties recovering from poaching, because the animal’s reproductive rate was low and they needed at least eight years to reach sexual maturity.

Michael Lau Wai-neng, the executive director of the Hong Kong Wetlands Conservation Association, said: “These small populations are probably among the most robust populations across Asia.

“Protection of the freshwater turtle population in Hong Kong is of global importance.”

Earlier this month, several NGOs, academics and legal experts penned a letter to the city government to highlight their concerns about wildlife poaching.

Co-author Sophie Le Clue, of environmental group ADM Capital Foundation, said: “Urgent action is essential to strengthen investigation, enforcement and deterrent of wildlife poaching. Otherwise, the imminent extinction of freshwater turtles in Hong Kong is inevitable.”

The letter suggested establishing an operational protocol between the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and police, setting up an anti-poaching enforcement unit to carry out regular, targeted night patrols and a revision of present legal shortcomings.

The department said it was examining the feasibility of the measures proposed in the letter. It added it planned to work with city experts to draw up an action plan to protect the turtle populations.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
Close
0:00
0:00
The Fed fixing the economy
Corporations standing up for “LGDP-LGT-LBG-LGBTQ2+ kids” during ‘Pride Month’ be like:
A Major Ukrainian Hydroelectric Dam BLOWN UP
US and European Intelligence Agencies Uncover Evidence of Ukrainian Role in Terror Attack on Nord Stream Pipeline
Photos and videos of Hunter Biden with underage minors have been released.
The driver has been described by authorities as a 21-year-old woman from Tallahassee
Joe Biden falls at the Air Force Graduation
America's Got Talent…
Elon Musk has been showered with praise by the Chinese public during his trip to China
Nvidia Joins Tech Giants as First Chipmaker to Reach $1 Trillion Valuation
Drone Attack on Moscow's Wealthiest Neighborhoods Suspected to be Launched by Ukraine
AI ‘extinction’ should be same priority as nuclear war – experts
Chinese fighter jet buzzes U.S. Air Force spy plane over South China Sea
Prominent Hacker Forum RaidForums Suffers Substantial Data Breach
Nvidia CEO Huang says firms, individuals without AI expertise will be left behind
WPP Revolutionizes Advertising with NVIDIA's AI Powerhouse
Two US Employees Fired For Chasing Robbers Out Of Store As They Broke ''Company Policy''
Pfizer, the EU, and disappearing ink - Smoke, Mirrors, and the Billion-Dose Pfizer Vaccine Deal: EU's 'Open Secret
The Sussexes' Royal Rebound: Could Harry and Meghan Markle Return to the UK?
A provocative study suggests: Left-Wing Extremism and its Unsettling Connection to Psychopathy and Narcissism
Neuralink Receives FDA Approval for First-in-Human Clinical Study
Ukrainian Intelligence Official Admits to Assassination Attempts on Putin
WATCH THIS: democracy in Russia is so bad!
Ed Davey: It is possible for a woman to have a penis
Bernard Arnault Loses $11.2 Billion in One Day as Investors Fear Slowdown in US Growth Will Reduce Demand for Luxury Products
Russian’s Wagner Group leader: “I am not a chef, I am a butcher. Russia is in danger of a revolution like in 1917.”
TikTok Sues Montana Over Law Banning the App
Ron DeSantis Jumps Into 2024 Presidential Race, Setting Up Showdown With Trump
Steve Jobs introducing Apple's iPhone, exactly 16 years ago.
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
China overtakes Japan as world's top car exporter
Talks between US House Republicans and President Biden's Democratic administration on raising the federal government's $31.4tn debt ceiling have paused
Biden Administration Eyeing High-Profile Visits to China: The Biden Administration is heating things up by looking into setting up a series of top-level visits to Beijing by top officials in the coming months
New evidence in special counsel probe may undercut Trump’s claim documents he took were automatically declassified
A French court of appeals confirmed former President Nicolas Sarkozy's three-year jail term for corruption and influence peddling
Debt Ceiling Crises Have Unleashed Political Chaos
Weibao Wang, a former software engineer at Apple, was charged with stealing trade secrets related to autonomous systems, including self-driving cars
Mobile phone giant Vodafone to cut 11,000 jobs globally over three years as new boss says its performance not good enough
Elon Musk compares George Soros to Magneto, the supervillain from the Marvel Comics series.
Warren Buffett Sells TSMC Shares Over Concerns About Taiwan's Stability
New Study Finds That Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia Is a Major Cause of Death in COVID-19 Patients Who Require Ventilator Assistance
The official tapes of Trump's deposition in the E. Jean Carroll battery (rape) and defamation case have been released.
King Charles III being crowned.
Newly released video of Donald Trump’s rape trial deposition:
Video: Ukraine MP Punches Russian Representative At Global Meet
El Paso mayor has declared a state of emergency
Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Kremlin with drones in an attempt to kill Putin
Dutch court orders man who fathered 550 kids to stop donating sperm
Kim Kardashian Lookalike Christina Ashten Dies Of Cardiac Arrest, Hours After Plastic Surgery
Samsung has banned employees from using generative AI services such as ChatGPT
×