Peepers are out for spring, but where are the voices for frogs & turtles?

California Department of Fish & Wildlife continues to ignore the advice of California Wildlife Commission to stop the import & sale of frogs & turtles at live markets

OAKLAND,  California––Why is Eric Mills of Action for Animals apparently the only California animal advocate mobilizing to put pressure on the California Wildlife Commission and Department of Fish & Wildlife to ban the import and sale of frogs and turtles under horrendous conditions at live markets?

Mills,  campaigning against live frog and turtle sales at least since 1995,   rumored to be old as a tortoise and just as patient,  intends to see to it that frogs and turtles will once again be discussed during the upcoming March 26,  2024 California Wildlife Commission teleconference meeting.

If this is a political tortoise-and-hare race,  Mills intends to win.

“Not expecting better this time around”

“Note that the commission has twice voted to stop issuing the permits,” that make the live markets legal,  Mills told ANIMALS 24-7,  “but has been consistently ignored by the Department of Fish & Wildlife,  which actually issues the permits.

“I’m not expecting any better this time around,”  Mills admitted.

“Environmentalists and animal groups should be all over this.  Not to mention the Asian community,  the markets’ major clientele,  whose health is at great risk” from consuming the frequently diseased frogs and turtles.

“Enforcement of current law would be nice,  too,”  Mills said,  citing Title 14,  Section 236 of the California Code of Regulations,  which according to the letter of the law “shall apply to the importation of all live aquatic plants and animals,”  but is rarely actually implemented.

“Time for some serious litigation!”

Advertised Mills in California newspapers ahead of the March 26,  2024 California Wildlife Commission meeting,  “The California Department of Fish & Wildlife is currently considering a ban on the importation of American bullfrogs for human consumption, sold in various ‘Chinatown” live markets,  especially in Oakland,  San Jose,  San Francisco,  Los Angeles and Sacramento.

“Freshwater turtles should be added to the list,”  Mills’ ads emphasize.  “Since the mid-1990s,  the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has received 3,000+ letters urging a stop to the import permits for both frogs and turtles,  non-natives all.  The late San Francisco judge William Newsom,  father of governor Gavin Newsom,  submitted such a letter. Resources Secretary Huey Johnson wrote twice, all to no avail.

“Time for some serious litigation!”  Mills frustratedly suggests,  but Action for Animals,  acting alone,  lacks the resources to sue the California state government.

Two million bullfrogs,  300,000 freshwater turtles

The California frog and turtle trade does,  however,  appear to be operating in violation of at least the intent,  if not the exact letter,  of considerable existing legislation.

“California annually imports some two million bullfrogs and 300,000 freshwater turtles,  non-natives all,”  Mills recites.  “The frogs are commercially raised,   but the turtles are all taken from the wild, depleting local populations.  Most of the frogs come through Oakland,”  via the Oakland International Airport,  which is to the much larger San Francisco International Airport more-or-less what a back alley is to Main Street.

“Law enforcement has been nil”

“Several dozen necropsies have documented that all of the frogs and turtles are diseased and/or parasitized,”  Millls continues,  “though it is illegal to either import or sell such products in California.  Law enforcement has been nil.

“Oregon has banned non-native frogs and turtles,  and Washington bans the frogs. Why not California,  pray?” Mills asks.

For that matter,  China,  Taiwan,  and Hong Kong all more strictly regulate the sale of  bullfrogs and freshwater turtles than does California.

Singapore,  a nation of 80% ethnic Chinese ancestry,  in December 2021 banned the sale of turtles and frogs for human consumption outright.

            (See Will California catch up to Chinese regulation of bullfrog & turtle traffic?)

“Local health departments have been remarkably silent”

“The majority of the bullfrogs carry a deadly chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd),  responsible for the extinctions of 100+ amphibian species worldwide in recent years,”  Mills mentions.

“The market animals are routinely bought en masse by various ‘do-gooders,’  then released into local waters,  where they prey upon and displace our native species,”  Mills charges, “while spreading all sorts of diseases and parasites.”

Probably the frog-releasers accomplish more to feed herons and other frog predators than to either save frogs’ lives or spread disease,  but frog and turtle releases have led to “Documented cases of E. coli,  salmonella,,  and pasturella,  all potentially fatal in humans,  plus giardia,  blood parasites,  even one case of malaria,”  Mills recites.

“Local health departments. have been remarkably silent,”  Mills notes.

American Tortoise Rescue

California hosts several animal advocacy organizations that give a damn about frogs and turtles,  unlike the rest of the U.S.,  where humane and animal rights groups piping up for herps of any sort are scarce as bullfrog croaks in January.

“American Tortoise Rescue,  a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of turtles and tortoises, is shellebrating its 24th annual international World Turtle Day on May 23,  2024,”  Susan Tellem recently reminded ANIMALS 24-7

“I founded World Turtle Day with my husband Marshall Thompson to shellebrate and protect turtles and their disappearing habitats around the globe,”  Tellem continued.

“Last year,  people were taking ‘shellfies’ and holding ‘shellebrations’ in the U.S.,  Canada,  Pakistan,  Borneo,  India,  Australia,  the United Kingdom,  Greece and many other countries,”  Tellem said.

“Reaching more than two billion people”

“In fact,  2023 was our biggest year yet,  reaching more than two billion people around the world through broadcast,  print and online media alone.”

Tellem and Thompson founded American Tortoise Rescue “as the first national turtle and tortoise rescue in the U.S.,”  Tellem mentioned.

American Tortoise Rescue then “launched World Turtle Day to increase respect and knowledge of one of the world’s oldest creatures,”  Tellem recounts.

“Now,”  Tellem emphasized,  “because of global warming,  there is a more urgent reason to bring attention to the turtles of the world.  It is estimated that 61% of turtle species are already extinct.”

Drastic threats to turtle survival

Of course that tends to happen when an animal order is 260 million years old,  originating before the Permian,  Triassic,  and Cretacious mass extinctions.

But there may be more drastic threats to turtle survival right now than then.

“Biologists and other experts predict the disappearance of turtles and tortoises in the wild within the next 50 years,”  warns Tellem.   “These gentle animals are rapidly disappearing as a result of smuggling,  the exotic food industry,  habitat destruction, global warming and the cruel pet trade. It is a very sad time for turtles and tortoises of the world.”

“We work to abolish ‘live market’ slaughter of turtles”

Tellem and Thompson are no strangers to hard times themselves.  The Woolsey wildfire of November 2018 razed their home and headquarters.  Many of their animals were killed,  but most of the turtles and tortoises survived.

Tellem and Thompson rebuilt both their home and American Tortoise Rescue.

“We work to abolish ‘live market’ slaughter of turtles,  the illegal sale of hatchlings and turtles under four inches,  and the cruel importation and exploitation of a variety of species,”  the American Tortoise Rescue website.

No turtle lobby

But American Tortoise Rescue has not managed to mobilize more than a tiny fraction of the two billion World Turtle Day participants to tell California politicians,  the California Wildlife Commission,  and the Department of Fish & Wildlife to protect turtles and frogs or face political extinction themselves.

As much as people profess to love turtles in abstract,  there is no organized turtle lobby or pro-turtle vote,  even among cause-oriented politicians.

There is,  however,  the 41-year-old international advocacy organization In Defense of Animals,  headquartered in San Rafael,  California,  within a 90-minute drive of four of the five biggest turtle-and-frog-selling live markets mentioned by Eric Mills.

Do frogs drink beer?

On back-to-back days,  March 21 and March 22, 2024,  In Defense of Animals made a point of giving a damn about frogs and turtles,  at least in association with brew pubs.

“In celebration of World Frog Day on March 20,”  In Defense of Animals announced,  “In Defense of Animals and the Stone Corral Brewery,”  in Richmond,  Vermont,  “hosted a toad trivia event to test Vermonters’ amphibian knowledge and spread the word about the amphibian migration season in Vermont.

“An exciting night of toad-themed trivia celebrated frogs and other amphibians at the packed brewery,  where informational flyers were handed out,  and four people on the winning team left with unique frog-themed shirts,”  In Defense of Animals wild animal campaign specialist Katie Nolan said.

“Amphibians are an especially vulnerable segment of the animal population”

“One of the most critical points of a frog’s life,”  Nolan explained,  “is migration season,  which starts in early spring on the East Coast,  when the temperatures begin to rise above 40 degrees at night.  Large migrations also occur with the first warm rains of the season.  Sadly,  they often have to cross roads,”  to reach their breeding ponds,  “and many are killed by cars. Two frog and three salamander species are imperiled or critically imperiled in Vermont.

“Amphibians are an especially vulnerable segment of the animal population,”  Nolan said.  “More than a third of amphibian species are already at risk of extinction.  Frogs are an integral part of the ecosystem,  and also they are just really cool,  so it’s really important that we talk about frogs and what we can do to help them!”

So what about talking to California politicians,  the California Wildlife Commission,  and the Department of Fish & Wildlife about the frogs imported for sale and woefully mistreated at the live markets?

“The world’s stupidest sport”

In Defense of Animals was active on behalf of turtles in California––or at least a few turtles––the very next day,  when “over 30 caring Los Angelenos joined In Defense of Animals,  Los Angeles for Animals,  and the Los Angeles Animal Defense League to protest animal cruelty at Brennan’s Irish pub in Marina del Rey,”  an In Defense of Animals media release recounted.

“Since 1975,”  In Defense of Animals explained, “Brennan’s has been exploiting turtles for entertainment and profit by holding races,  which it calls ‘the world’s stupidest sport.’

“Turtle specialist Brittany Michelson organized the demonstration along with Cory Mac a’Ghobhainn with Los Angeles for Animals and Anita Liao of the Los Angeles Animal Defense League,”  In Defense of Animals acknowledged.

“Turtles are not toys”

“Michelson,”  founder of the Desert Oasis Turtle & Tortoise Sanctuary in Arizona as well as campaign specialist for captive animals at In Defense of Animals,  “told pub goers the animals belong in peaceful,  natural environments,  not forced to amuse humans for cheap thrills.”

Said Michelson,  “Turtles are not toys. They are sentient beings who experience stress and fear when subjected to loud,  rowdy settings. These turtles deserve to live in a peaceful outdoor environment,  not used as tools for entertainment.”

The race card

So what about the stress and fear that 300,000 turtles experience each year in loud,  rowdy California live markets?

Do turtles not also deserve to be spared use as food by a dwindling clientele served by marketers who unabashedly “play the race card” in defense of their business,  even though the overwhelming majority of Californians of Chinese and other ethnic Asian descent neither eat turtles and frogs,  nor patronize live markets in any way?

At least In Defense of Animals has stood up for  some turtles and frogs.

There are more than 2,500 humane societies and animal rights groups in California who apparently cannot be counted upon to utter a peep on behalf of turtles and frogs,  even if they all croak.

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