Actor Liu Ye swims with a sea turtle in the South China Sea near Sansha city, May 23, 2018. （Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn）
Actor Liu Ye swims with a sea turtle in the South China Sea near Sansha city, May 23, 2018. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn
Nearly half of consumers bought the products as souvenirs, with 69% of purchases taking place at domestic souvenir shops, the majority upon recommendation by their tour group guide. Only 57% of respondents knew that it was illegal to purchase sea turtle products in China.
Once found throughout southern China, sea turtles are rapidly disappearing from its coastline, now only found in a handful of areas, including Hainan.
As part of the sea turtle alliance launch event, 10 sea turtles were released back into the wild with GPS trackers to help monitor their movements and improve conservation efforts.
It was also announced that sea turtles would soon be uplisted in China from national level II to national level I protected species, helping place further emphasis on their conservation efforts.
As part of the launch event, Chinese Fisheries authorities also destroyed a stockpile of confiscated sea turtle products along with other illegal marine products including giant clams, corals, sea horses and more.
WildAid China Chief Representative Steve Blake noted that "it’s encouraging to see these strengthened enforcement efforts, but we must also increase public awareness in China on the plight of sea turtles and the illegality of their products if we are going to stop the illegal trade and truly protect these animals".
