Woman indicted for turning sea turtle parts into guitar picks (54-YO Qing Song, Hawksbill turtles)

Mercury News ^ | 3/27/09 | Bay City News Service

[NormsRevenge]

A Santa Rosa woman has been indicted in federal court in San Francisco for allegedly taking part in the illegal trade of endangered sea turtle parts from China into the United States, authorities said today.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said 54-year-old Qing Song was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in importing and selling guitar picks made from the shells of the endangered Hawksbill sea turtle.

Hawksbill sea turtles are one of seven turtle species listed as endangered under either U.S. law or international treaties, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The alleged activities took place from 2005 to 2007, and included the possession and sale both of imported picks made from the shells and of imported shells that were later fashioned into picks, prosecutors said.

Song has been charged with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits illegal trade in wildlife, and one misdemeanor count of violating the Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

[NormsRevenge]

I didn't know Hawksbills were endangered. bummer.

[PfluegerFishin]

tastes like snail darter

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I knew I shoulda bought some of those picks while they were still available! Darn!

[NormsRevenge]

eBay. ;-)

[skully]

I don’t usually play with a pick, but I would of used one of these picks just to piss off liberals

[BenLurkin]

Any pics...of the picks?

[WVKayaker]

I didn't know Hawksbills were endangered. bummer.

There are some pretty important people owning NC sea coast real estate. They love the turtle nests, and watch over them like mothers. You can't get close enough to see anything, but they hover. They set up watches for the "hatch" and notify everybody to "come on down".

By making them endangered, the gum't picks up the tab for their parties. They get grandfathered into their location, but nobody can build there any more, due to new regs.

As for me, I enjoy turtle soup!

[NormsRevenge]

Haven't found any yet..well, I did find this..

This site has a bunch of different stuff on picks and memorabilia..

http://www.irocknroll.com/Picks.html

[JimC214]

Wasn’t this the company that got caught faking stuff a few years ago?

[vetvetdoug]

I found that the talon of a Peregrine Falcon or the talon of a Spotted Owl makes an excellent guitar pick. The primary feathers make excellent hat feathers and quills.