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<\/div>Regarded as one of the world\u2019s most beautiful tortoises, Indian star tortoises are so named due to the yellow and black star-shaped patterns on their shells. They are found only in parts of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where they inhabit dry grasslands and scrub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re attractive, easy to care for and have a long lifespan, Jose Louies, joint director of the wildlife conservation charity Wildlife Trust of India, told The Third Pole<\/a>. There\u2019s a belief in parts of Southeast Asia that tortoises bring luck, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is these qualities that make the Indian star tortoise sought after as a pet. Against a backdrop of habitat loss and degradation, collection for the international pet trade has reached such a scale that the species\u2019 survival in the wild is under threat. Research in 2016<\/a> found that the Indian star tortoise is seized from illegal trade more than any other tortoise species. These threats have led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to categorise<\/a> the Indian star tortoise as \u201cvulnerable\u201d \u2013 one step away from endangered \u2013 on its Red List of Threatened Species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2019, international commercial trade in Indian star tortoises was banned when the species was added to Appendix I<\/a> of the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, following advocacy efforts from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Senegal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora \u2013 or CITES \u2013 is a legally binding global agreement signed by 183 countries intended to ensure that international trade in wild animals or plants does not lead to the extinction of the species in the wild.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n CITES applies to species that are listed on one of its appendices. An Appendix I listing \u2013 meant for the species most threatened by trade \u2013 prohibits international commercial trade. Any movement of these species across borders must be granted permits by both the exporting and importing country.\u00a0<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n An Appendix II listing allows regulated commercial trade, but only if the country of export grants an export permit. Appendix III listings require permits for trade in that species from a specific country. Countries can face sanctions if they fail to meet their obligations under CITES, including a temporary ban on trade in any CITES-listed species.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n Only a small proportion of the world\u2019s animal and plant species are listed on and therefore regulated under CITES. The CITES trade database<\/a>, published online, includes records of international movements of CITES-listed species since 1975.<\/p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n The Indian star tortoise had previously been on Appendix II, meaning regulated trade was allowed with export permits. But according to the CITES trade database, no permits for the commercial export of Indian star tortoises collected from the wild had been issued by India, Sri Lanka or Pakistan since 1999. Yet star tortoises continued to be traded illegally in their thousands. In 2017 alone, 6,040 Indian star tortoises<\/a> were seized in 11 incidents across India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The successful proposal<\/a> to uplist the species to Appendix I highlighted a significant population decline and a sharp increase in illegal trade. In one example, over 55,000 star tortoises are reported<\/a> to have been illegally collected from a single area in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh during 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6,040 Indian star tortoises<\/p> seized in 11 incidents across India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in 2017<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n An Appendix I listing can lead to stronger action to control commercial trade in the species, explained Kanitha Krishnasamy, director for conservation NGO TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia, in an email to The Third Pole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn most countries, targeting crimes involving Appendix I species is prioritised, and penalties are commensurately higher, in the hopes of creating a deterrent effect. Unfortunately, this hasn’t quite happened in most consumer states [of the Indian star tortoise], resulting in India\u2019s population of the species continuing to face immense pressure,\u201d said Krishnasamy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In India, data collated by the non-profit the Wildlife Protection Society of India and shared with The Third Pole shows that authorities seized 3,500 star tortoises in 24 incidents across 2020 and 2021 \u2013 after the CITES ban came into effect. In 2022 so far, there have been two reported seizures in the country, involving a total of 1,498 star tortoises. Given that only a small proportion of smuggling attempts are likely intercepted by authorities, the true number of tortoises in ongoing illegal trade is likely far higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn most countries, targeting crimes involving Appendix I species is prioritised, and penalties are commensurately higher<\/blockquote>Kanitha Krishnasamy, TRAFFIC<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Star tortoise trade continues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n