4:34 PM
Vegetarian
Is killing an endangered species ever justified? A University of B.C. research team plans to kill seven endangered turtles after their research is complete, and they are defending their actions.
According to a Vancouver Sun report, the ten-year research project focused on turtle diving depths, global fishing policies, and the impact of climate change on the turtles. Bill Milsom, head of UBC's zoology department, reports that in the past twenty years, over 85,000 green sea turtles died from being accidentally caught in fishing nets. Fishing nets also kill an estimated one thousand whales, dolphins, and porpoises every year. To cut down on the turtle death count, the UBC study aims to make recommendations on the placement of fishing nets based on the animal's diving depth.
The study began as a minimally invasive project, implanting tiny devices in the skin of the turtles to determine the impacts of climate change. But the turtles will need major surgery for the final chapter of the research project, which will study why the turtles die when caught in the nets. After the observations are complete, researchers plan to increase the anesthesia until the turtles die.
Milsom explains to Vancouver Sun why they plan to kill the turtles. First, the turtles are legally prohibited from being released into the wild. Due to their long time in captivity, they could infect other animals with parasites or bacteria. Second, nearby aquariums aren't open to taking the sea turtles because they require a large living space. Lastly, Milsom explains that part of the turtle experiment is to harvest their tissues.
Also, the building that is housing the turtle tank is set for demolition -- Milson claims that this did not motivate their decision to kill the turtles. According to Milsom, "As biologists our passion is animals... The work we do is ultimately to the end of conservation and many experiments require some animals to be sacrificed."
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