From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 19:52:21 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Pet Bog Crypto Ban
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19971104114239.00a4cbac@pop.pipeline.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



As a strategic bank shot for banning domestic use of encryption the 
US FBI and Fish and Wildlife Service have declared the pet Bog 
Snatch Algorithm a terrorist threat:

   http://jya.com/fws110497.txt  (134K)

B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or 
Educational Purposes

    The bog turtle is a target for pet collectors due to its rarity in 
the wild, distinctive coloration, and small size. Take (primarily 
illegal) both for the national and international commercial pet trade 
industry has occurred for many years. Collecting is a significant 
factor in the species decline and is an ongoing threat to its continued 
existence in the wild (Anon. 1991; Earley 1993; David Flemming, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, in litt. 1991; Herman 1990; Klemens in 
press; Stearns et al. 1990; Tryon 1990; Tryon and Herman 1990). During 
the last 5 to 10 years, an increasing number of bog turtles have been 
advertised for sale, and prices have increased substantially. The 
increase in price most likely reflects the increase in demand for the 
turtles; the increase in demand increases the threats to the wild 
populations (Tryon and Herman 1990).
    Atlanta Zoo personnel reported that from 1989 to early 1991, over 
1000 bog turtles were exported to Japan. These figures differ 
significantly from CITES data and represent a significant amount of 
unreported illegal trade (Anon. 1991). The World Wildlife Fund recently 
listed bog turtles as among the world's top 10 ``most wanted'' 
endangered species (Earley 1993). According to Alan Salzburg, President 
of the American Turtle and Tortoise Society, the bog turtle is 
considered the most prized turtle in the United States, and when bog 
turtle locations become publicly known, they are exploited by 
collectors within 1 year (Laura Hood, Defenders of Wildlife, in litt. 
1997).
    Due to the threats facing bog turtle populations, the Society for 
the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles adopted a resolution calling for 
the prohibition of collection from wild populations (Stearns et al. 
1990). Due to the small size of existing populations, and the low 
reproductive and recruitment potential of this species, the removal of 
even a few breeding adults can do irrevocable damage to a population 
(Tryon 1990). Collecting has been a factor in the reduction or 
extirpation of several bog turtle populations in Delaware (Anon. 1991), 
Maryland (Anon. 1991; Smith, in litt. 1994), Massachusetts (Anon. 
1991), New Jersey (Farrell and Zappalorti 1989; Zappalorti, pers. comm. 
1994; Zappalorti, in litt. 1997), New York (Breisch, in litt. 1993; 
Breisch et al., in litt. 1994; Collins 1990; Behler, in litt. 1997), 
and Pennsylvania (Ralph Pisapia, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 
litt. 1992; Zappalorti, in litt. 1997). Many sites in these States have 
suitable habitat, but have much-reduced bog turtle populations, 
probably due to collecting.
    Throughout the bog turtle's entire range, States regulate take 
through classification of the species as endangered (in Connecticut, 
Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and 
Virginia) or threatened (in Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South 
Carolina and Tennessee), yet trade continues.
    Illegal trade is difficult to detect due to the questionable origin 
of turtles being offered for sale. Bog turtles are often ``laundered'' 
through States which either do not have native populations (e.g., West 
Virginia, Florida, California), or through States which have inadequate 
protection of their own bog turtle populations (Charles Bepler, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, in litt. 1993; Breisch, in litt. 1993; 
Michael Klemens, in litt. 1990). For example, in recent years dealers 
have claimed West Virginia as the State of origin for bog turtles; 
however, there is no evidence to support the contention that the bog 
turtle occurs in that State (Dennis Herman, Project Bog Turtle 
Coordinator, in litt. 1997; Tom Thorp, North Carolina Herpetological 
Society, in litt. 1997). Hatchling and juvenile turtles marketed as 
``captive-born'' are usually offspring from gravid adult females 
illegally brought into captivity and held until they deposit eggs. The 
eggs are then hatched in captivity, and the captive-born (but not 
captive-bred) offspring are then marketed or retained (Bepler, in litt. 
1993).
    A few specific instances of illegal bog turtle collecting and trade 
are reported below:
    (1) An undercover officer purchased eight bog turtles from a person 
who had collected them near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Also, two 
additional bog turtles were recovered from persons who had gotten them 
from friends allegedly in the New York area (Bepler, in litt. 1993);
    (2) An individual from New Jersey was arrested for bringing bog 
turtles from New Jersey to Florida and selling them as captive-born. It 
is suspected that he collected about six turtles per year over a period 
of several years (Bepler, in litt. 1993);
    (3) A reliable source in New York reported that over 2000 wild-
caught bog turtles were shipped to Japan in a 2-year period (Murdock, 
in litt. 1990);
    (4) Researchers found several turtle traps and a much-diminished 
bog turtle population at an important bog turtle site in Pennsylvania 
(Pisapia, in litt. 1992);
    (5) In 1993, a New Jersey resident purchased 47 bog turtles in 
Florida, and since 1984 had also bought 20 additional bog turtles. This 
individual supposedly has an active breeding program for bog turtles 
(Terry Tarr, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in litt. 1993);
    (6) When confronted in a New York wetland, an individual claiming 
to be a birdwatcher revealed the contents of the cloth bag he was 
carrying--a bog turtle and spotted turtle (Paul Novak, New York Natural 
Heritage Program, in litt. 1990);
    (7) A reliable source reported seeing approximately 60 bog turtles 
at the Ohio residence of a person who frequents reptile shows. Based on 
the physical appearance of the bog turtles, they were not captive-bred 
(Scott Smith, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, in litt. 1996);
    (8) Bog turtles have been available at the major Herpetological 
Expo in Orlando, Florida for the last 2 years (Herman, in litt. 1997; 
Thorp, in litt. 1997); and
    (9) Bog turtles were observed in several Florida dealerships in 
1996, although they have not been openly advertised for sale (Herman, 
in litt. 1997).
    The general consensus among bog turtle researchers, nongame 
biologists, and law enforcement officials is that illegal collecting is 
occurring at a much greater rate than detected or reported (Anon. 1991; 
Breisch, in litt. 1993; Flemming, in litt. 1991). Bog turtles are 
already extremely low in numbers throughout much of their range, and 
any additional take could eliminate marginal populations and hamper 
survival and recovery efforts.
    Protecting existing sites for bog turtles can pose a threat when 
these specific sites are revealed and publicized. In addition to the 
threat of collection for the pet trade industry, collection of bog
turtles for exhibition at nature centers is also a threat (Anon. 1991).