Turtles are among the most popular species sold illegally in Asia - either as pets in places like Japan, or as cuisine in China and other parts of Asia.
TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife trade monitoring network, surveyed 20 pet markets in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta and found 48 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises for sale. It said the vast majority of them were illegally obtained.
Included were all six of Indonesia's fully protected freshwater turtles and five non-native species that are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, meaning all commercial trade is prohibited.
"The open trade in protected species indicates a lack of enforcement effort and blatant disregard for the law," says Chris R. Shepherd, a senior program officer of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and lead author of the survey.
Tonny Soehartono, head of the biodiversity directorate at Indonesia's Forestry Ministry, acknowledged that the illegal trade in turtles remains a problem.
"We admit it happens and it is a fact," Soehartono said. "It is due to high demand and lack of resources to prevent it."
Across Southeast Asia, pet markets have served for year as key transit points for illegal animal trade throughout the region and beyond. Many openly sell endangered and rare species of birds, reptiles and other animals.
