Fishing gear should be killing fewer sea turtles, not more – and
today we filed a complaint with the government saying just that.
Oceana’s complaint is in response to the U.S. government’s
decision in October 2010 to allow eight East Coast fisheries to
harm 14 times more threatened loggerhead sea turtles – raising
the limit from 42 to 610. Oceana is disputing the U.S.
government’s decision to allow these fisheries to injure and
kill more loggerhead sea turtles without adequately assessing
the aggregate impacts of the fisheries on this species. The
fisheries harm leatherback, Kemp’s ridley, and green sea turtles
as well, and those species also would benefit from proper
assessments of the fisheries’ impacts. Oceana’s complaint
addresses eight federal fisheries, including those for monkfish
and for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass, which are
responsible for the highest levels of sea turtle bycatch in the
region. Oceana is calling on the U.S. to implement simple
solutions to protect and restore sea turtle