Poachers Kill Scores of Turtles
The bodies of 80 dead turtles washed ashore in Oaxaca, Mexico, last weekend, victims of poachers who eviscerated the animals at sea for their eggs, the Mexican environmental and natural resources ministry said.
The bodies of the turtles, some measuring 3 feet long, were found on Escobilla beach, the most important nesting ground for olive ridleys, one of seven species of marine turtles that nest on Mexican beaches.
All have been protected by Mexican law since 1990, but poachers continue to kill them for their eggs, hide, meat and shells. Turtle eggs are collected as supposed aphrodisiacs and are served illegally in some Mexican cantinas as hors d’oeuvres.
Environmentalist Homero Aridjis said the killings at sea were the poachers’ reaction to increased vigilance on beaches by volunteers and army units.
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