TED Case Studies

Testudo Kleinmanni: An Endangered Egyptian Tortoise

Number: 475

Mnemonic: Tortoise

Name: Egyptian Tortoise and Extinction

OTHER FACTORS

I. Identification

1. The Issue

The Egyptian tortoise (Testudo Kelinmanni) is a small, desert-living tortoise found in Egypt, Israel and Libya. Desert tortoises have delayed maturity (14-20 years) and long life spans. Their reproduction /generation cycle is 25 years, with individuals having lifespans well over 50 years. However, the desert tortoises reproductive potential is low, laying relatively few eggs (3-14) in each clutch, and having a high mortality rate for juveniles approaching 99%. Slow growth (~2.5 cm / year) and soft /flexible shells make them particularly vulnerable to predators at this stage of life. The Egyptian desert tortoises are highly prized by collectors and sold in the local markets as pets. This type of tortoise is yellow to greenish yellow and only five inches long. The Egyptian tortoise is also used as an ingredient in local fertility medicines.The Testudo Kleinmanni is the most endangered land tortoise in the Mediterranean region. The issue that is being discussed here is the ongoing illegal trade of this specific type of tortoise in Egypt.

2. Description

The illegal trade of the Testudo Kleinmanni tortoise in Egyptian markets is an extremely alarming issue, today. This trade mainly takes place in the Saiyyida Aisha animal market in Cairo (Egypt) where hundreds of tortoises are sold on a daily basis. Tortoises illegally imported from countries such as Libya and Israel are sold to local merchants, foreign importers, and individuals. The case of the Testudo Kleinmanni is a very special case because we are talking about a species which is almost extinct. The tortoises have all been collected except for the few animals left in Israel and Libya. The conditions under which tortoises are kept in Egyptian markets are repugnant. Hundreds of tortoises are stacked together waiting to be sold. Many of them end up dying during the process. In many cases, the dead animals are mixed with the ones waiting to be sold. Considering the fact that tortoises are usually small and very sensitive, this treatment certainly is the most crual extermination method.

The Egyptian tortoises are sold at miserable prices of 5 to 10 Egyptian pounds (approximately $1.6 to $4 US). In the Saiyyida Aisha market alone about 300 Testudo Kleinmanni are sold daily. It is important to note that there are many other endangered animals which include species of reptile, bird, and mammals exploited in similar ways. The Egyptian authorities have tried to deal with this issue. However, they have not been strict enough to discourage dealers. In 1997, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency seized hundreds of Testudo Kleinmanni which were either released or maintained in temporary captivity. Most tortoises were sent to Giza Zoo where a large percentage of the animals died due to the inadequate conditions. This practical conservation effort is a good initiative. However, the authorities must understand that it would be more effective to enforce measures that would keep dealers from operating openly in markets.

There is an environmental law which clearly prohibits this type of practice. Penalties for violating the provisions of Article 28 of this Law will be punished by a fine not less than 200 Egyptian pounds. In addition, seized birds and animals as well as the machines and the equipment used in the violation will be confiscated. It is forbidden to hunt, shoot, or to catch the types of wild birds and animals that are specified in the Executive Regulations of this Law. It is forbidden to possess, transport, walk with, sell or offer to sell these birds and animals either dead or alive. Many projects are being executed in Egypt for environmental monitoring and protection, moreover, the country is running awareness/education projects, information projects and others. Those projects are funded by key donors and executed by various organizations. One USAID funded project is the "Public Awareness Campaign on Environmental Protection Law." Another important project funded by the government of Netherlands is the "Consensus Building Activities for Integrated Coastal Zone Management."

It is also important to note that the Egyptian government has launched a sustainable development campaign to increase environmental awareness. A Work Group co-headed by Egypt and Spain has been formed to discuss means of coordinating and energizing environment geared development in the Mediterranean. The group is also entrusted to capitalize on programs set for the protection and development of the environment. Other work groups have been formed to deal with the development of coastal areas. However, while this is a good economic initiative, the bad news is that the coastal dune areas also are the habitats of the testudo kleinmanni tortoises in Egypt. The Tortoises are under severe pressure from development and agriculture.

Unfortunately,the Testudo Kleinmanni is not the only severely endangered tortoise in the world. There are many other cases of tortoise abuse that have provoked international outrage. In 1997, 1000 confiscated Russian tortoises were slaughtered by the Swedish authorities. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency stated that tests performed on the turtles revealed that they suffered from salmonella and were, therefore, put to death to avoid further cruelty to the animals. The Tortoise Trust reported that only 6 tortoises out of 1,000 were actually tested salmonellla and the results of the tests were unknown at the time of the execution. The Tortoise Trust also added that salmonella actually is a perfectly normal organism to isolate from tortoises and it does not prove that the animal is sick or in bad condition.

Another case of abuse has also been brought up in California. The Tortoise Trust strongly opposes the sales of endangered species at animal markets. The Trust plans to forward petitions to the California Department of Fish and Game on April 1, 1998. The organization also actively supports a proposed ban of reptiles and amphibians imported into California for sale at live markets.

One important initiative of the Tortoise Trust is the creation of a Field Study Center in Morocco where the main focus of the tortoise conservation is Habitat Preservation through the development of agriculcural methods which do not impact upon tortoise populations.

3. Related Cases:

4. Draft Author: Rama Faye, Spring 1998

II. Legal Clusters

5.Discourse and Status: Argument And In Progress

The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency organized police raids on the market. However, this does not solve the problem because dealers are allowed to operate outside the law. In many cases, the tortoises seized by the police often die because they are kept in filthy and life threatening living conditions

6. Forum and Scope: Egypt And Regional

Egypt, Israel, Libya. The trade of these tortoises involves Libya and Israel (the main exporting countries).

7. Decision Breadth: 3

The illegal trade of testudo kleinmanni could affect as many as three countries which namely are Egypt, Libya, and Israel (the two exporting countries)

8. Legal Standing: Law

There is an environmental law which clearly prohibits this type of practice. Penalties for violating the provisions of Article 28 of this Law will be punished by a fine not less than 200 Egyptian pounds. In addition, seized birds and animals as well as the machines and the equipment used in the violation will be confiscated. It is forbidden to hunt, shoot, or to catch the types of wild birds and animals that are specified in the Executive Regulations of this Law. It is forbidden to possess, transport, walk with, sell or offer to sell these birds and animals either dead or alive. Many projects are being executed in Egypt for environmental monitoring & protection, moreover, the country is running awareness/education projects, information projects and others. Those projects are funded by key donors and executed by various organizations. One USAID funded project is the "Public Awareness Campaign on Environmental Protection Law." Another important project funded by the government of Netherlands is the "Consensus Building Activities for Integrated Coastal Zone Management."

Tortoise harvesting is now illegal in the United States. The type of measure has an important impact on the extinct to which tortoises are imported from Egypt and other North African countries. However, not all states enforce tortoise protection laws. A ban on the Mediterranean importations of turtles has considerably decreased the number of tortoises that are smuggled in the United States. However, one important issue is the fact that the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service is understaffed and overworked. Inspectors are often unable to effectively monitor trade in illegal species.

III. Geographic Clusters

9. Geographic Locations

a. Geographic Domain: North Africa

b. Geographic Site: Mideast Africa

c. Geographic Impact: Egypt

10. Sub-National Factors: No

11. Type of Habitat: (DRY) Dry Steppes and Deserts

IV. Trade Clusters

12. Type of Measure:

13. Direct vs. Indirect Impacts:DIRect

14. Relation of Trade Measure to Environmental Impact

a. Directly Related to Product: Yes (Tortoise)

b. Indirectly Related to Product: No

c. Not Related to Product: No

d. Related to Process: Yes (Species Loss Land)

15. Trade Product Identification:

16. Economic Data

17.Impact of Trade Restriction: Medium

18. Industry Sector: Food

19. Exporters and Importer: Israel, Lybia And Egypt

The Testudo Kleinmanni exists in Egypt, but it is mostly imported from Libya and Israel.

V. Environment Clusters

20. Environmental Problem Type: Species Loss Land (SPLL)

21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species

Name: Testudo kleinmanni

Type: Tortoise

Diversity: Extinct. These tortoises have all been collected except for a few which remain in Israel and possibly Libya.

22. Resource Impact and Effect: High

23. Urgency and Lifetime: Extinct

24. Substitutes:

VI. Other Factors

25. Culture: Yes

The Testudo Kleinmanni is highly prized by collectors and sold in the local markets as pets. The tortoise is yellow to greenish yellow and only five inches long. The Egyptian tortoise is also used as an ingredient in local fertility medicines.

26. Trans-Boundary Issues: No

27. Rights: No

28. Relevant Literature

Tortoise Trust Homepage. Available: Tortoise Trust

Sites for Turtles,Tortoises,and Terrapins. Available:Sites For Turtles, Tortoises,and Terrapins

SIS Publications. Available:SIS Publications-Egypt Magazine

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Available:Understaffed and Overworked: The U.S. Fish and WildLife Service Monitors Illegal Animal Trade

Tortoises Find New Home. Available:105 Tortoises Find New Home>

Desert Tortoise Ecology.Available:Gopherus agassizii Fact Sheet

Answering Questions About Desert Tortoises: A Guide For People Who Work With The Public In California, Bureau of Land Management in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, January 1993.

Biology of North American Tortoises, US Department of the Interior, National Biological Survey, edited by R.B. Bury, D.J. Germano.

Desert Tortoise (Mojave Population) Recovery Plan, US Fish and Wildlife Service, June 1994.