This is really terrible in my opinion. Yes, the folks were in the wrong, they forgot to renew their permit, but it seems way overboard to just confiscate everything automatically. What about a warning and a late renewal penalty. These people were breeding legally for 25 years, it's not like they were intentionally doing something illegal.
Granted, the story apparently isn't complete yet, so there may be other factors to consider since the state isn't commenting, but right now this is just extreme as far as I'm concerned.
Armed with a search warrant, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission seizes 300 alligator snapping turtles and other property from the home of Harold and Doris Randleas.
Doris Randleas says, “They searched everything; got everything."
Early Wednesday morning, the turtle breeder says she awakened to a knock at the door by wildlife officials.
She says she knows why they're here; over a permit that she forgot to renew.
She explains, “That's what it's about---over a $100."
The alligator snapping turtle is the largest fresh water turtle in North America.
Nesting in three separate ponds, throughout their property, the Randleas have about 800 turtles registered with the state.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission herpetologist Kelly Irwin says, “You can see that they're not like the common snapping turtle; which a lot of people mistake them for. They have a very large head which they can't re-track into the shell all the way."
Irwin says in the past, breeders like Randleas could harvest the species from the wild.
But for more than 10 years, wildlife officials have prohibited the act.
Now the only way you can do it is by breeding them on your own.
The alligator snapping turtle can live up to a hundred years and grow to a hundred pounds. Once they've bred here and laid eggs, the turtles are exported overseas to countries like Japan."
Irwin says, “They're very big into aquaria. So to buy a hatchling alligator snapping turtle is very popular for them."
And for 25 years, snapping turtles is how Randleas says she's made her money; “What are we going to live on? I have no money to pay my bills and to eat on."
Now they've been charged with possessing these turtles without the proper permit. Randleas adds, “I do not do nothing illegal."
Because of the ongoing investigation, wildlife officials can't comment but have said additional charges could be pending.
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=27616