Case Number # 1875 Earthjustice has filed suit to protect sea
turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. These turtles are a key part of
the ecosystem in the Gulf, where they forage and live throughout
the year. They also are a valuable legacy for Gulf residents who
take pride in observing and enjoying the sea turtles' continued
choice of their local beaches to nest. But they are being
captured and killed in large numbers by fishing vessels that
deploy miles of line and thousands of hooks along the ocean
floor. The turtles drown or suffer serious injury when they grab
the bait off these hooks. Populations of these sea turtles are
vulnerable; one turtle species in particular—the loggerhead—has
suffered more than a 40 percent decline in its population over
the past decade. Therefore, the Endangered Species Act requires
the National Marine Fisheries Service to strictly limit the
number of turtles that can be caught and harmed by these fishing
vessels. But the Service has known for several years that these
turtles are being