The poaching of rare turtles and dolphins off India’s eastern coast and in its rivers for their aphrodisiac value in Chinese and Hong Kong markets has increased over the past two years, according to scientists and police.
RK Sinha, chairman of the Asian River Dolphin Committee in Patna in the eastern state of Bihar, said huge numbers of turtles and dolphins were being poached from the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers every day.
”A myth about turtles and dolphins having some sort of
aphrodisiac value is leading to their unnecessary slaughter in Indian waters,” said Sinha.
”Scientific research has so far not been able to back up any such claims. Yet, turtles and dolphins are being killed for their meat. Even the turtle shells have been given false medicinal properties.”
A state district police official said it was almost impossible to clamp down on the poaching because traders offered local fishermen large sums of money for their catch and exported the turtle and dolphin meat to China and Hong Kong.
”The courts have ordered us to take steps for the protection of turtles and dolphins and even though an alert has been sounded, it is not an easy task to check poaching which is rampant in the Ganges River during early summer,” said the police official.
The police said most of the poaching takes place between April and June when there is less rain in the Indian subcontinent and the water levels in the rivers run low, making spotting the dolphins easy.
Bheekhan Manjhi, a local fisherman in the Ganges River delta said he had no other means of livelihood except to hunt the animals.
”I only kill dolphins to feed my wife, four kids and old mother. We have no other source of income,” said Manjhi. ”I learnt fishing from my father.”
According to fishermen, local traders pay them fifty rupees (roughly one dollar) for a kilogram of turtle or dolphin meat.
”Turtle meat is also in great demand here as people believe it cures tuberculosis and asthma,” said Manjhi.
Another fisherman, Ashok said that he supplied his catch of turtles and dolphins to local traders, who always ask for more than can be supplied.
”The traders have told us that they can accommodate any amount of supply as there is a huge demand for dolphin fat and meat. Each part of the turtle is also dried and sold in the markets of China, Hong Kong and other South East Asian countries,” he said.
”We have been told our turtles and dolphins are a miracle cure for sexual problems and male impotency.”
Even a seven year jail sentence for fishermen caught poaching has not put the brakes on India’s flourishing illegal dolphin and turtle trade. – Sapa-AFP