St. Landry Parish Woman Faces $350 Fine For Selling Turtles

EUNICE, La. — A 32-year-old Eunice woman was cited by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents on June 12 after investigators say she was selling native turtles online out of her St. Landry Parish home, according to LDWF.

Agents cited Sydney P. Broussard for failing to abide by commission rules and regulations, a charge that carries a fine of up to $350.

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How the Investigation Started

Agents received a complaint about someone selling native turtles online and traced it back to Broussard. Her social media posts advertised red-eared slider turtles for $8 apiece and an alligator snapping turtle for $30.

Agents went to her Eunice home on June 12, and she admitted to selling the turtles when they asked her about it.

What Agents Seized

black and brown turtle on brown wood — Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

Agents seized six red-eared slider turtles from the property and released them back into the water. Lt. Lance Devillier, Senior Agent Hayden Byrd and Senior Agent Lane Devillier worked the case.

Why Selling Native Turtles Is Illegal in Louisiana

Louisiana bans commercial use of native turtles outright. Residents can’t buy, sell or barter turtles collected from the wild without a commercial license from the state. Red-eared sliders fall under a restricted-species category, and recreational collectors can keep no more than two turtles per species and ten total at any time, with even tighter limits on alligator snapping turtles and box turtles.

Those numbers cover people who want a turtle as a pet or for food. Selling wild-caught turtles, even through a casual Facebook post, crosses into commercial activity, and that’s what led to Broussard’s citation.