Comments on: Importation of live turtles & frogs: Something fishy at Fish & Game?

By: kaaren Smith

kaaren Smith — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:43:50 +0000

Question: After reading Michelle Tsai’s comment – the majority of Chinese don’t eat them, then why are they sold abundantly in San Francisco’s Chinatown and have been for years? I remember seeing the poor turtles piled up in crates years ago as a child in the 40′s and 50′s and feeling horrified. I have never wanted to go back. I don’t see them in local regular markets and on the streets anywhere else in the bay area. I am not a traveler. Obviously, I could research more and probably will. Gary, I appreciate your comment and support you always. Thank you for doing so much for so many causes.

By: eric mills

eric mills — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:29:55 +0000

After 15 years of constant work on this issue, it seems abundantly clear that only legislation will resolve this simple issue. Sadly, politics and “cultural political correctness” continue to trump the well-being of our natural resources and the public health. Not to mention the horrendous animal cruelty rampant in these markets.

We need a permanent, state-wide ban on the importation, possession and sale of all non-native species intended for human consumption.

ALL LEGISLATORS, INCLUDING GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN, MAY BE WRITTEN C/O THE STATE CAPITOL, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814.

John McCamman, Director of the Dept. of Fish & Game, may be emailed at director@dfg.ca.gov.

The Fish & Game Commission (Jim Kellogg, President) may emailed at fgc@fgc.ca.gov.

Both entities may be written to c/o 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

By: Michelle Tsai

Michelle Tsai — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:10:20 +0000

Almost immediately after the vote to stop issuing those permits, the live-markets published a front-page article in the most widely-read Chinese newspaper, calling the Commissioners nothing but racist, and without mentioning the real issues. It was meant to rile up the Chinese community, including those who do not eat turtles, which is the majority of them. The live market businessmen should be sued for libel. There are well-documented incidents and investigations showing that people have been consistently breaking the laws, for over two decades, despite what the markets claim or have been promising even today. Is the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) implying that the former governor Schwarzenegger told them to issue permits for diseased, invasive, wild turtles? The DFG needs to behave like the Department of Agriculture, who knows what pests are and what a mandate is. Now the DFG is falsely claiming they cannot stop issuing those permits because they need to undergo a costly CEQA. Ceasing inappropriate permits should not require a CEQA. Not only is it not a “project,” the “impact” on the environment would be ZERO. The DFG should not be misinforming the public, in order to shirk the Commissioners’ vote. They never had the proper right to issue those permits in the first place, since it all started two decades ago with an arbitrary decision made internally, without CEQA. Last but not least, I am an immigrant Chinese, and I swear that most of us have never heard of eating turtles. My parents and friends, also immigrants from many parts of China and Hong Kong, all gasped upon hearing of the practice. It is preposterous of the markets to claim they represent the Chinese culture.

By: Camilla Fox

Camilla Fox — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:50:09 +0000

Thanks for all of your efforts on this, Eric. As you say- hopefully Gov Jerry Brown will see the light on this and leg. won’t be necessary. Keep up the fight my friend.

By: luvanimals

luvanimals — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:07:16 +0000

In my opinion, one can argue that the Asian consumption of wild animals is to blame for a lot of the endangered spieces on our planet. If they feel the need to consume bear gall bladder, cobra bile, powdered rhino horn, etc., try raising/farming them and not taking, poaching them from their natural habitat, wich is shrinking quickly as it is.