State Panel Refuses to Ban Importation of Frogs, Turtles

After hearing five hours of testimony, the state Fish and Game Commission on Wednesday voted 4 to 0 not to ban the importation of live bullfrogs and turtles used in some Asian cultures for food and medicinal purposes.

Instead, the commission proposed that signs be posted at all food markets that sell the amphibians noting that it is illegal to sell the animals live to customers. They must be slaughtered on the premises before being sold.

The commission is concerned that some amphibians are released into California’s habitat, threatening the existence of native species.

The department will monitor whether the signs help. Also, store owners will be educated about the laws. If the amphibians continue to be sold live to the public, a ban or some kind of permit system will be reconsidered in six months.

More than 100 people from Los Angeles’ Chinatown rallied outside Long Beach City Hall where the commission meeting was held. Many carried signs that read: “Why Not Cows?” and “Fresh Seafood Is Healthy For You.”

“Eating fresh turtles and frogs makes you very strong and healthy,” said Lien Wininger, who considers such fare part of her cultural heritage.

Environmentalists and animal rights activists backed the ban, noting that imported bullfrogs and soft-shell and red-eared slider turtles, when released, take over the habitat of native species such as snails, crustaceans, tiger salamanders and Pacific pond turtles.

Environmentalists said many of the amphibians are caught in the wild in the Southeastern United States and are not raised on farms.

“It is not a bottomless pit out there,” said Virginia Handley of the Fund for Animals. “You can’t catch hundreds of thousands of them and keep up with demand.”