South Carolina’s Senate Bill 885 Strives to Better Protect Turtles from Illegal Wildlife Traffickers - National Humane Education Society
Paws Up!
January 17, 2020
To South Carolina Senators Sheheen, Campsen, and McElveen for sponsoring SB 885 to amend the current law to close a loophole to protect its native turtles, other reptiles, and amphibians from illegal wildlife traffickers.
Turtles’ natural protection against predators is their shell. When that predator is human, their shell is useless. Easy money is what illegal wildlife traffickers see when they pluck these defenseless creatures out of their habitat to be sold on the black market in Asia. Why is there such a high demand for these slow-moving reptiles? In many cultures, turtles embody longevity, prosperity, peace, persistence, and wisdom. These deep-rooted beliefs fuel the turtle trafficking industry. Selling prices for these docile creatures can range from the hundreds to the thousands depending on the species.
In 2019, several illegal wildlife trafficking operations were uncovered in Florida and Chester County, South Carolina, and as many as 600 turtles were rescued and released back into the wild. Measures to deter turtle trafficking and preserve turtle populations in South Carolina is underway with Senate Bill 885. Senators Vincent Sheheen (D-District 27), George “Chip” Campsen, III (R-District 43), and J. Thomas McElveen, III (D-District 35), have sponsored this bill to make it “unlawful for a person to sell, purchase, trade, exchange, barter, export, ship, transfer the possession of, re-home, remove, or attempt to remove from this state any native reptile or amphibian species.” If passed, violators may face misdemeanor charges with a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both. Currently, SB 885 is in the Committee on Fish, Game, and Forestry.
Take Action: South Carolina residents, please contact your legislator to show your support to help put an end to illegal wildlife traffickers decimating the native turtle populations, other reptiles, and amphibians.
