Rep. Vang renews effort to ban Minnesota's unsustainable commercial turtle harvest

Last session, we reported on the bill to end Minnesota's commercial turtle harvest introduced by state representative Samantha Vang, DFL-Brooklyn Center. Here's 2019's  Vang bill will end MN commercial turtle selling and Months after hearings, Star Tribune reports on commercial turtle harvesting concerns 

The proposal is back. Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee chair Rick Hansen, DFL-S. St. Paul tweeted on Sunday:

Thank you. @RepSamanthaVang HF387, a bill that would ban commercial harvest of Minnesota's 🐢turtles.🐢Harvest for personal use would still be allowed. Commercial harvest is unsustainable✅Bill details at: https://t.co/ascWYSTpvo #SaveOurTurtles #turtles #mnleg #sustainability pic.twitter.com/b9C96l5R9u

— Rep. Rick Hansen (@reprickhansen) January 31, 2021

Read the bill here.

Our February 2020 post  Minnesota Herpetological Society commercial turtle harvest factsheet tells all includes a wealth of information about commercial turtle harvests in the North Star state.

Last year, wildlife biologist Christopher Smith, who sits on the Board of Directors for the Center for North American Herpetology (CNAH) started  a petition to support the bill. We're not sure what strategy supporters will adopt this year, but we'll try to keep readers posted.

Update: Updated commercial turtle harvest numbers from DNR underscore need for HF387

Photo: Turtle champion state representative Samantha Vang.

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If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.

NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6