Recently, the Assam forest department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two NGOs and adopted a Vision Document to raise at least 1,000 black softshell turtles by 2030.
About Black Softshell Turtle
Scientific Name: Nilssonia nigricans
Habitat:
They are found in ponds of temples in northeastern India and Bangladesh.
Its distribution range also includes the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries.
Protection Status:
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
CITES: Appendix I
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: No legal protection
It contains ways and means to not only promote inter-sectoral action for conservation but also guide improved coordination amongst the government, civil society and all relevant stakeholders.
It puts in place a framework through which States of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian region and other concerned States can work together to conserve and replenish depleted marine turtle populations for which they share responsibility.
KURMA App:
It has a built-in digital field guide covering 29 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises of India.
Developed by: Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India.
