Aquatic Animals

Aquatic Turtle Farming Welfare

Freshwater turtles are farmed extensively in China for food and traditional medicine, with welfare conditions generally very poor.

Key Facts

China farms hundreds of millions of turtles annually for food and medicine
Soft-shell turtles are the primary farmed species
Turtles are capable of pain and stress responses
Wild turtle populations are severely depleted by collection for farms and food

Welfare Considerations

Farmed turtles in intensive systems are kept in barren, overcrowded conditions that prevent all natural behaviors. Harvest methods are often inhumane. The massive scale of turtle farming also drives illegal collection of wild turtles, threatening conservation. Improving farm welfare standards and reducing turtle consumption addresses both issues.

What You Can Do

Avoid consuming turtle meat and products
Support campaigns against wild turtle collection for food and traditional medicine
Advocate for international trade restrictions on threatened turtle species
Support organizations documenting and improving turtle farming welfare conditions