Cantho Import-Export Seafood JSC (Caseamex) last Wednesday killed 17,900 of 18,400 red eared sliders pursuant to an official document from the Vinh Long province’s People Committee.
Caseamex imported thirty tons of red eared sliders from the US to their factory in Phu Thanh Village, Tra On District in Vinh Long province to be processed for consumption last April.
Commonly referred to as sliders, the Trachemys scripta elegans, in their scientific name, are said by scientists to carry the salmonella virus that causes typhoid to human. They are listed in the IUCN Red list of threatened species as near-threatened and described as a potentially invasive species once in a non- native environment which could lead to ecological imbalance.
Sliders have been banned in several countries in the world but are one of few species approved to be imported in Vietnam.
During the first two weeks, four tons of sliders died. Although Caseamex buried them, they released an unpleasant smell, causing disruption for nearby residents. People were also afraid that sliders would escape to the natural environment and compete with indigenous species for food and basking sites.
A search for the remaining red eared turtles in the area will be supervised by the People Committee of Phu Thanh village (Vinh Long), veterinaries and fisheries’ representatives in Vinh Long province and Can Tho City, said Lieu Cam Hien, vice president of Vinh Long’s department of Cultural and Rural Development.
Once all sliders have been killed, water will be pumped out, ponds will be sterilized and sewage will be processed.
Slider’s meat is usually frozen and preserved in cold storages in Can Tho City. It is then processed for food consumption and supplied to domestic consumers or export outlets. Shells are detached and dried for animal consumption. Blood and organs are disposed and processed on the spot.
A Can Tho seafood company in the Mekong Delta refused to obey an order to destroy 30 tons of invasive red-eared sliders it has improperly imported.