Maryland's terrapins are commercially fished and sold as food in urban Asian food markets. Through the tagging efforts of other organizations, Maryland's terrapins have been found as far away as New York City, Albany, New York and Ohio. Unfortunately, the wholesale export of terrapins overseas also occurs. One exporter advertised an open order for a ton of terrapins per month.

These adult female terrapins were found in a food market in China this spring. More were found in an adjacent store that day.

Selling conditions.

Note: Similar to several NYC Chinatown fish markets where diamondback terrapins, including terrapins from MD, are also sold.

The rapidly growing market demand to supply Asian food markets both here overseas is placing our mascot at severe risk. This is true because terrapins are loyal to their home waterways.

 

This means that if a local population living in a particular creek or river is over fished, or caught accidentally as bycatch in any number, this population will not recover for decades for two main reasons:

1) Terrapins are home bodies that do not migrate but remain loyal to their particular creek or river that they call home

2) Like all turtles, terrapins become mature late in life and very few of their young survive to reproduce themselves

 

A population's recovery process is an uphill battle if other sources of mortality are still affecting that population, such as:

• drownings in crab pots without BRDs (Bycatch Reduction Devices)
• boat strikes
• loss of females to cars while searching for a place to nest
• loss of those very nesting beaches to erosion and popular forms of shoreline rip rap construction
• loss of nests to raccoons and other predators whose populations are "subsidized" by housing developments that provide new sources of food (garbage), shelter and removal of their natural predators.

 

These are all known and significant problems faced by our terrapins each year - to host a commercial harvest on top of these is the proverbial 'nail in the coffin'.

 

The commercial harvest is a very clear problem that is easy to solve. The other issues facing these turtles will be more difficult to address.

 

Maryland is one of the last states to allow the commercial harvest of terrapins even though the scientific literature states unwaveringly that they cannot be harvested sustainably.

 

Please help us protect the Bay's populations from commercial harvesting that and sign The Terrapin Petition - thanks!