Tortoise Protection Group

The Tortoise Protection Group (TPG) is a British non-profit organisation founded in January 2007 with the aim of stopping the importation of tortoises into the UK for the commercial pet trade, and to promote high standards of husbandry in tortoise keeping. The mission of the Tortoise Protection Group is to help ensure the survival of tortoises in the wild and to promote high standards of husbandry for tortoise keepers in the UK. Over the last year, it has been working closely with members of Parliament and various charities to bring about a change in legislation, with a petition enlisting thousands of signatures.
It aims to increase public awareness of the conditions under which tortoises are brought into the UK for the pet trade. Various strategies are utilised, including petitioning the government for a ban on the importation of tortoises bound for the UK commercial market. In addition, the TPG provides information and guidance on the best methods of tortoise husbandry for many species of tortoises and provides detailed care sheets on the website for many different species of tortoises.
The Tortoise Protection Group aims to inform the general public of the licensing requirements to help stop the illegal trade continuing and reduce the taking of tortoises from their natural environment. It aims to encourage DEFRA to work more closely with the wholesalers and retailers and the general public to tighten up the licensing regulations and to ensure that those that continue to illegally trade in tortoises are prosecuted.
History.
The TPG was initially set up in 2007 by a group of experienced tortoise keepers with the main aim or preventing tortoise importation to the United Kingdom from other countries such as Slovenia; a trade which has restarted.
The Shellshock campaign of 2004/2005 followed on the heels of the TRAFFIC Report for DEFRA (2002) and this campaign was the main incentive for the Tortoise Protection Group initiative and launch on 5 January 2007. The campaign partly involved the raising of public awareness of the threats which are faced by many species of tortoise to their continued survival in the wild. The campaign also highlighted the fact that endangered, and therefore protected, species are still being illegally caught for the pet trade too (Shellshock, the EAZA Turtle and Tortoise Campaign 2004/2005).
It was from this that the Tortoise Protection Group formulated aims with the focus being to campaign for a ban on the importation of tortoises into the UK for the pet trade. The Tortoise Protection Group encourages people in the UK to buy tortoises which have been bred in the UK by true, reputable breeders.
Current events.
The TPG now has its official website launched and is participating in numerous animal welfare events scheduled nationally in the United Kingdom. It is also aiding fellow animal welfare organisations in the fight against Tesco selling live turtles in its stores and campaigning against internet tortoise dealers as well as numerous other campaigns.