Turtle farming is the practice of raising turtles and tortoises of various species commercially. Raised animals are sold for use as gourmet food, traditional medicine ingredients, or as pets. Some farms also sell young animals to other farms, either as breeding stock, or more commonly to be raised there to a larger size for further resale.
Turtle farmers worldwide raise primarily freshwater turtles (primarily, Chinese Soft-shelled Turtles as a food source[1] and Sliders and Cooter Turtles for the pet trade); therefore, turtle farming is usually classified as aquaculture. However, some terrestrial tortoises (e.g. Cuora mouhotii) are also raised on farms for the pet trade.
It is believed that there have only been three serious attempts to farm sea turtles. Only one of them (in Cayman Islands) continues, with a strong tourism component. The one in Australia's Torres Strait Islands folded down after a few years of operation, and the one in Réunion has been converted to a public aquarium (Kélonia).
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