Rare Turtle Survives Flood, Then Soup Pot

(AP)  A rare Vietnamese turtle, one of just four believed left in the world, was swept away by a flood, taken hostage by an enterprising fisherman and nearly ended up in a soup pot.

Instead, the 150-pound animal returned to its lake Wednesday and conservationists celebrated their deal with the fisherman - the turtle's freedom in exchange for about $200 and two new fishing nets.

Douglas Hendrie and other conservationists had been trying to find the turtle for two weeks after floods washed the animal out of Dong Mo Lake near Hanoi.

"Thank god it's over," said Hendrie, director of the Asian Turtle Program at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo who also works with the conservation group, Education for Nature Vietnam. "We're happy that the turtle is back in the lake."

Only three other members of the rafetus swinhoei species are known to exist - two are in Chinese zoos and another lives in Ho Hoan Kiem, a lake in downtown Hanoi named for its association with a legendary turtle.

According to legend, a magic turtle snatched a sword from the Vietnamese King Le Loi as he boated on the lake and returned it to the gods who had lent it to the king to help him defeat Chinese invaders. The lake has since been called Ho Hoan Kiem, or the Lake of the Returned Sword.

Fisherman Nguyen Van Toan found the turtle early Wednesday and demanded $1,400 in exchange for its release, arguing that a Hanoi restaurant owner had offered him 30 million Vietnamese dong ($4,800) for the animal.

Turtles are considered a delicacy in Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Toan argued with authorities and conservationists for hours, occasionally picking up a stick to threaten the crowd of about 100 onlookers that gathered in his yard to watch the drama. He finally agreed to accept cash and new nets to replace the ones he ruined capturing the turtle.

"It's a small reward for people who realized that it's important to protect one of the most endangered species in the world," said Nguyen Thi Van Anh, a colleague of Hendrie's from Education for Nature.

Toan said he was satisfied with the outcome.

"I'm very happy the turtle is returning to nature," he said.

[Meg003]

Dltgold

You are so right. Some people posting here cannot imagine living in a small hut built on stilts, making your living catching food. They also don''t seem to understand that bargaining is a respected tradition in some countries.

[downsteamjim]

A bredding program is essential for the turtle''s survival. Why can''t the Vietnamese do something to help?

[Meg003]

Clathrate

No wonder the world sees Americans as ignorant, self-centered, and arrogant. You are treating this fisherman as though he were in the U.S., where money and food are easy to get.

I have lived in Southeast Asia, and met fishermen there. Trust me, they are not having problems with being overweight. They work long, hard hours for a sustenance living.

As for your soup, I''m going to get a loaf of marbled rye instead.

[walkshe]

So, there are 4 of these turtles left, but in 3 different locations. Doesn''t say much for their continued existence, does it?

[Meg003]

Have you ever seen people who struggle for survival? Their consciences are telling them to provide food for their family.

People who have very little do not have the luxury of putting the worry over rare turtles ahead of making a living. What kind of conscience would this fisherman have if he did NOT ask for the replacement of his nets or compensation for the turtle he did not sell to a restaurant, and his children and his mother starved?

If you think I am exaggerating, go live in Southeast Asia for a few years. I did.

[presjfk]

I wonder how this fisherman would have felt if he had killed one of the last 4 turtles of this kind in the world.

A man with a conscious would be devastated...

[clathrate]

Clathrate


What do you think will happen to the next displaced animal that is removed from a protected habitat by a storm? If a person''''s next meal depends upon his livelihood, he should be paid for the loss of his needed fishing nets and the value of the turtle. Otherwise, the finder has no incentive to return it to the conservationist.

This fisherman did not steal the turtle, yet he lost his nets capturing it. He also gave up money from a restaurant.

The analogy with the hijacked ships does not make sense. It is more similar to someone finding an advertised stolen Rolex with engraving at a flea market. If he spends his own $100 to buy it from the vendor, then contacts the owner, should he not expect the owner to pay him the $100?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Meg001

Cost of nets: $10 US
Labor charge 8hrs * $1.50/hr = $12

Total: $22

He made off with a huge haul. He was milking his 15 minutes of fame for all it was worth. Had he pulled this in America or any other civilized country the game warden would have cuffed him and stuffed him.

So sorry, the sob story about the boo hoo poor scumbag fisherman doesn''t work. He didn''t have enough moral decency or pride to do the right thing, and you''re crying that he made out like a bandit extorting some NGO.

No soup for you, one year!

[generey]

Talk about stress! This guy is gonna need therapy!

[Meg003]

Clathrate


What do you think will happen to the next displaced animal that is removed from a protected habitat by a storm? If a person''s next meal depends upon his livelihood, he should be paid for the loss of his needed fishing nets and the value of the turtle. Otherwise, the finder has no incentive to return it to the conservationist.

This fisherman did not steal the turtle, yet he lost his nets capturing it. He also gave up money from a restaurant.

The analogy with the hijacked ships does not make sense. It is more similar to someone finding an advertised stolen Rolex with engraving at a flea market. If he spends his own $100 to buy it from the vendor, then contacts the owner, should he not expect the owner to pay him the $100?

[clathrate]

Sounds like the smart thing would have been to pay the man for his time and trouble and ruined nets without arguing for hours. Apparently, the conservationists wanted their work done for them for free.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Meg001

Oh, so that''s why they paid him $200, because they wanted it for free?

Hell, by your logic, why not just pay the pirates for their "time" in rounding up wayward vessels off the coast of Somalia? I mean, after all, everyone who spends time capturing something ought to be compensated for their time, right?

McCain voter are we? Just checking.