Türkiye’s biodiversity under spotlight after US professor arrested for smuggling

ISTANBUL

The apprehension of a U.S. professor at Istanbul Airport, caught while attempting to smuggle endemic animal species, including scorpions, has once again thrust Türkiye’s biological richness into the spotlight.

This richness also makes Türkiye an attractive destination for biological smugglers.

Lorenzo Prendini, the director of the National Museum of Natural History in New York, was detained and subsequently released after he was caught with endemic scorpions, tarantulas and spiders at Istanbul Airport.

Ali Yılmaz, a scorpion breeder in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, sheds light on the lucrative side of this biological richness, as scorpion venom fetches a whopping $10,000 per gram in global markets.

His journey in scorpion breeding began in his youth when Health Ministry officials purchased scorpions from his village, sparking his curiosity and paving the way for a lifelong vocation.

Over time, Yılmaz expanded his business, establishing Türkiye’s first scorpion farm. At Yılmaz’s facility where he mainly breeds Androctonus crassicauda, commonly known as the black scorpion, there are approximately 10,000 scorpions under his care.

Yılmaz oversees an operation that yields an annual export of 250-300 million Turkish Liras worth of scorpion venom, a prized commodity coveted by pharmaceutical industries worldwide but sells mainly to Denmark and the U.K.

The venom extracted from Yılmaz’s scorpions is used in various medical applications, including cancer treatment, multiple sclerosis disease drugs and botox, Yılmaz said.

However, concerns persist regarding the effectiveness of the venom in treatment for said conditions, with experts emphasizing the need for further scientific scrutiny.

Ismail Deyim, the dean of the faculty of pharmacy at Biruni University, noted the absence of standardized formulations and cautioned against misconceptions.

While scorpion venom holds potential in cancer research and the development of antidotes, Deyim warns against unsubstantiated claims and stresses the importance of evidence-based medicine.