© Greg SchechterIn February, I wrote about the plight of the snapping turtle in Ontario. Categorized as of “special concern” under provincial legislation, I had watched for decades as the numbers of snapping turtles declined, going the way of all but one of the eight species of turtle native to the province. Except for the still-common painted turtle, they are all listed as “special concern,” “threatened,” or “endangered.”[teaserbreak]
But, what’s different about the snapping turtle is that, even as its numbers declined, it was legally hunted. And, while hunters love to claim that they are conservationists, all too often, they are reluctant to stop killing.
Many hunters hate and fear snapping turtles, possibly thinking that they are ugly destroyers of “game” species that they want for themselves. As I heard off the record, there is a visceral hatred of them among the “old guard” ranks of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
However, they are a native species—part of the ecosystem—whose presence contributes to biodiversity, recognized as essential to a healthy environment.
All turtles face numerous risks as humans encroach upon their environment. The healthy wetlands essential to their survival are degraded by many human-caused problems including drought, drainage, toxic pollution, agricultural run-off, and dredging.
Snapping turtles also require safe nesting sites. As is true of other turtle species, many snapping turtles are hit by cars or trains as they try to reach a suitable patch of sand in which to lay their eggs. The female does not reach sexual maturity until she is from about 17 to 19 years of age, making each mature female extremely important to the survival of the species.
As I reported in February, MNRF was reviewing the situation… and numerous conservation groups urged it to do the right thing. On Friday afternoon, March 31, the Minister of Natural Resources, the Honorable Kathryn McGarry, announced that the “harvest” of snapping turtles in Ontario would end.
But, why was the announcement made so late on the last business day of the week? “Simple,” I was told by a retired MNRF biologist. “They are terrified of the reaction from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters when contacted by media.”
Sadly, he may be right. The MNRF has a long tradition of being in the back pocket of the hunting, trapping, fishing, logging, and mining interests. And yet, as a government ministry, MNRF really represents us all—and most of us want to protect and cherish, not kill, wildlife.
The Minister did the right thing. You can thank the Honorable Kathryn McGarry here!
Hopefully, our gratitude will help her to make future decisions on behalf of animals, not on behalf of animal killers.
Keep wildlife in the wild,
Barry