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Sea Shepherd Investigates Galapagos Tortoise Killers

Ozzy

SirKristoff is a poopiehead
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http://seashepherd.org/news/media_070710_1.html

Eight magnificent and endangered Galapagos tortoises were brutally slaughtered last week on the island of Isabela in the Galapagos Islands. Rangers found the shells of the animals near the fishing village of Puerto Villamil. The tortoises apparently were killed for their meat, although the killings could be revenge slayings. The fishermen have killed tortoises in the past in retaliation for quota restrictions on lobster and sea cucumbers.

media_070710_Tortoise1.jpg

The killings followed the announcement by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) that the Galapagos is now designated as a World Heritage Site that is endangered.
These eight tortoises, three of which were nearly a century old, were cruelly tormented then killed. These ignorant poachers are consuming tortoise meat because they believe it will slow the aging process.
In a meeting in Quito on July 5th, Sea Shepherd Founder and President Captain Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd Galapagos Director Sean O’Hearn-Gimenez reviewed the facts of the case with Colonel Teresa Carransa, the head of the Federal Environmental Police. O’Hearn-Giminez will be working with the agency to insure that the investigation moves forward and will assist in any way possible.

Last year, the world mourned the passing of Harriet, a 175-year-old Galapagos tortoise that died in June 23rd, 2006, in an Australian zoo. “Yet here we have eight of these incredible creatures slaughtered illegally. The world should be outraged at the ignorance and brutality of this crime. We need to see these killers apprehended and given severe penalties,” said Captain Watson.


Presently, the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat is in the Galapagos and last week seized and confiscated a 30-mile hooked and baited longline. “It is very strange,” said Captain Watson, “that these longlines are prohibited in the marine reserve, and yet every time our ship and crew arrives in the waters of Galapagos we find them immediately.” “The problems are many, but the solutions are simple,” said O’Hearn-Giminez. “We simply need to see the Special Law of the Galapagos enforced. Dogs and cats should be removed from the islands; all illegal residents should be deported back to the mainland; and cars and trucks should be banned and replaced with electric cars. Additionally, institutional corruption needs to be investigated and enforcement operations placed into the hands of the Environmental Police and the National Park. These agencies should implement a system for monitoring and intercepting poaching operations. This can be done, we only need the political will to protect these unique islands, and if we have that, will we will find a way.”
 
Very sad, but its not surprising because tortoise poaching on the island of Isabela has been a longstanding problem- as many as 120 are thought to have been killed since 1990. Atleast the Isabela population is the one of the largest anywhere on the islands.

I only know that because I read the Darwin foundation website, by the way.
 
sick. wonder if PETA is doing anything about this
 
What kind of A hole would do this? This is like hitting a puppy. Damn.
 
yeah peta. peta activists get all crazy and bent out of shape for animal issues like this. i figured they'd probably raised hell to get the people who killed the tortoises in jail.
 
LMAO PETA is a joke! Sure they get all worked up but they do every thing WRONG, and make wild life activists look like tree hugging hippies.

People just have this gear always running thinking somethings going to keep coming back, and when it doesn't we find something else to replace it with.
 
Poor Galapagos turtles... I can picture them now... what monsters did this to those precious turtles?
 
I was talking to a guy and he told me that he had vft's on his property. I asked what he did with them and he said he killed them. He disked them up with his tractor. Of course i asked him why. He said that he was scared that somebody would find out they were growing there and shut down his farm. I explained the law to him. I told him that vft's are not listed as an endangered species, and even if they were they are a plant and the law states that the land owner owns any plants that is growing on his property. Even if he had the last vft on his property he can, he legally he can do what he wants with it.
The reason I'm telling you this is because I blame organizations like greenpeace and peta for putting this fear in people. They are doing more harm than they are good.
 
  • #11
PETA is a for profit buisness.......there is a HUGE difference between the amount of donations they take in versus the amount used to help animals......those running the organization are making a killing..........not to mention the lot of them are missing more than a few brain cells.
 
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