Florida freshwater turtle rules take effect next week

A new law banning commercial freshwater turtle harvesting in Florida will take effect next week. The law, which may be the most restrictive in the nation, will take effect on July 20th. The rule was approved to protect Florida’s freshwater turtle population from an influx of trappers who were catching turtles for sale on the international market especially in Asia and South America. People who like to eat turtles can still catch them; there is a recreational bag limit of one freshwater turtle per day per person for noncommercial use. The rule does prohibit taking any turtles from the wild that are listed on Florida's imperiled species list. That includes species that look similar to the imperiled species; these include common snapping turtles and cooters. It also bans the taking of freshwater turtle eggs except in certain circumstances by turtle farms.