An analysis of illegal trade of non-marine turtles in West Bengal, India: Study based on a seven-year confiscation scenario

Abstract

The global trade in non-marine turtles (NMTs) poses a serious threat to biodiversity. Its portrayal in the news media and other secondary sources provides a perspective on understanding what drives it, its effects and public involvement, helping in the identification of illegal trade lines. We used 133 confiscation reports from West Bengal, occurring between January 2017 and December 2023, as a case study on the confiscation scenario from various online news sources and from Forest Department reports. We identified seizure of 33,317 NMTs, belonging to nine species, six of which are threatened and one near-threatened. Lissemys punctata was the most commonly traded species accounting for 94% of the identified seized individuals and Geochelone elegans comprised 5% of the traded individuals. NMTs were seized from 15 districts of West Bengal, with North 24 Parganas found to be a hotspot accounting for 57% of confiscations. The supply chain of soft-shell turtles extended beyond West Bengal to Uttar Pradesh (50%) and Odisha (25%), whereas star tortoises were exclusively smuggled from Tamil Nadu. Additionally, we found 349 kg of body parts were seized. All confiscated materials were meant either for domestic consumption or for illegal international trade through Bangladesh. Significantly more confiscations were recorded during the winter (H = -11.429, p < 0.001) and throughout COVID-19 pandemics illegal trading remained high, with an increase in the involvement of women. West Bengal become a significant hub for the illegal trade of NMTs, with North 24 Parganas district as its epicentre which needs more conservation attention.