New Jersey Takes Steps To Combat Decline of Diamondback Terrapin
By David Madden
STONE HARBOR, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey has now joined a growing list of states putting a halt to the harvesting of northern diamondback terrapins, a breed of turtle whose numbers could be getting too low, according to experts.
They populate shoreline marshes from Massachusetts to Texas. And they're popular as gourmet cuisine, particularly in Asia.
But now, there is increased concerns about overharvesting.
This year, New Jersey stopped the annual terrapin season, which normally goes through March 31st, a month early.
That was a good move, says Lisa Ferguson, with the Wetlands Institute, in Stone Harbor, NJ.
"There is not enough information on the harvest and how it is impacting the population," she tells KYW Newsradio, "but it is known that taking adults out of such a long-lived population as the diamondback terrapin is problematic."
The state will also increase enforcement of current laws protecting these turtles, and look into ways to improve them.