The Influence Of Chinese Traditional Culture On The Conservation And Management Of Turtles

Chelonia, as an important part of biological resources, has been used by human since ancient times. However, today, over consumption of chelonian resources has been a serious threat to the world turtle. Asian is the area where turtle was the most severely damaged, and more than 80% of the Asian turtle are facing different degrees of threat, and more than 50% have been assessed as endangered or critically endangered species. China has the most rich turtle species diversity in Asia, now more than 70% of Chinese turtle species are endangered or critically endangered. In recent decades, the Asian turtle crisis has caused widespread concern in the international community. Chinese unregulated trade in turtles is regard as the largest threat to the Asian turtle. Chinese consumption demand for turtles is the primary cause of this over trade and this consumption demand has a close relationship with Chinese traditional culture.Chinese traditional culture has important effect on the consumption, utilization, and religious release of turtles, and therefore impacts on the implementation of the laws and policies for turtle conservation. Public attitudes play a major role in the implementation of management policies for wildlife conservation. Although China has the relevant laws and regulations to protect the turtles, but these laws and regulations can not be effectively implemented in the practical management, and therefore illegal turtle trade widespread in long term. In addition, religious release is popular in China, and that caused a large number of alien and invasive turtle species into the wild, threatening the ecological safety of China. Therefore, studying and clear understanding of the Chinese traditional culture is very important to the making of reasonable policies for turtle conservation and management. To create a good culture condition is necessary for the implementation of a policy for turtle conservation. What are the Chinese traditional cultures for the turtles, and how does the culture affect people's attitude to the protection, consumption and use of the turtle? What are the positive and negative effects of the Chinese traditional culture on the implementation of the conservation and management policies of the turtle?In this paper, we conducted a study of the influence of Chinese traditional culture on the turtle conservation and management. We systematically collected the data on Chinese traditional turtle culture, endangered status and protection of turtles. Using a questionnaire and interview approach, this study investigated the public's conservation awareness and consumption of turtles, and knowledge about about the ecological risk of releasing exotic turtle species in the Chinese turtle trade and consumption center(Guangzhou), China. Based on a large number of research data, we systematically analyzed Chinese traditional turtle culture, and summaried the main content, important thinking, essential features, historical development, and realistic effect of this culture. Using the method of materialist dialectics, we analysed and demonstrated the negative and positive influence of Chinese traditional culture on the conservation and management of turtle.This paper summarized traditional Chinese turtle culture from five perspectives: traditional turtle medicine culture, traditional turtle food culture, traditional turtle worship culture, traditional turtle art culture and traditional turtle religious culture. On the bases of summing up the traditional Chinese turtle culture, from the perspective of protection, this paper argued and criticized the unscientific ideas and contents in the traditional turtle culture. The argument was based on a thorough literature review, and a comprehensive, systemic, and in-depth analysis. It was found that turtles' nutritious effect was exaggerated in traditional culture, the anti-cancer effect of turtle and its products was lack of scientific basis, releasing culture and the invasion of alien species etc. The scientific concepts, behaviors and approaches were promoted to protect the turtles.Finally, based on the results of this study, from the perspective of �protection and management policies must adapt to cultural condition�, we present three suggestions for improving conservation and management of turtles. This study is helpful to deeply understand the Chinese traditional turtle culture, and to make reasonable policy for conservation and management of turtles, and effectively promote the conservation of turtles. Finally, four suggestions were proposed based on the results of this study:(1) to strengthen publicity and education, and actively build a turtle conservation culture in terms of the influence of the turtles medicinal culture;(2) to prohibit the consumption of wild turtles in terms of the turtle diet culture;(3) to prohibit blind releasing in terms of its negative effects;(4) to conduct propaganda the idea of caring for turtles in terms of cultural and artistic effects. In order to formulate the conservation and management policies for turtles, we should transform and abandon negative influence, superstition and negative behavior from Chinese traditional culture. On the other hand we should continue to build modern turtle protection culture system, and strive to achieve integration of conservation and management policies and the protection of culture, and advocate the scientific concept, behaviors and approaches. This research has important practical significance for the comprehensive and thorough understanding of the Chinese traditional turtle culture, the development of protection and management policies, and promotion of turtle conservation.