Woman Fined Over Red Slider Turtles
A West Hobart (Tasmania, Australia) woman has been fined $150 for
possessing two turtles considered to be among the world's most invasive pests.
The Hobart Magistrates Court heard that Charmaine Maree Calabrese
had two Red Slider turtles as pets at her West Hobart home.
The turtles feature in the top one hundred list of the world's most
invasive pests.
The Commonwealth Prosecutor, Adam McGrath, said Calabrese's two male
turtles were a danger to native wildlife and a serious threat to
Australia's biodiversity. He said the animals are very aggressive and
have few natural predators, and when discovered in Queensland, the
Federal Government had carried out an intensive eradication program.
Calabrese pleaded guilty to possessing an illegally imported species.
The Magistrate, Glen Hay, said he needed to impose a penalty to deter
others from bringing such pests into Tasmania.
The turtles will be destroyed.