Save Turtles From Entrapment, Strangulation and Death With TTED Devices
- by: Sue Lee
- recipient: U. S. Congress
Sea turtles have been around since the time of dinosaurs, but six of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet are at risk of extinction, with hundreds of thousands of sea turtles killed each year by shrimp trawl nets, longline hooks and fishing gillnets.
Here's the good news: these deaths are preventable with TTEDs (Trash and Turtle Excluder Devices).
Turtles have lungs and need air to breathe and survive. When trapped in nets, they are unable to swim to the surface to get that air, eventually leading them to drown.
TTEDs are equipped with grids that can open in the event that a turtle is accidently trapped in one of these nets allowing turtles, sharks and rays to escape.
We need to help sea turtle populations by protecting their habitat and reducing their entrapment through capture in fishing gear. Sign this turtle saving petition requiring that all commercial fishing and shrimping operations make use of the TTEDs to prevent accidental turtle deaths.
PLEASE NOTE - TTEDs are similar to TEDs that are only used in the shrimp fishing industry. Our effort is to get ALL commercial fishing operations to use these special nets and protect the sea turtles.
Dear Decision Maker,
With six of the planet's seven species of sea turtles at risk of extinction, I urge you to do everything that you can to ensure to ensure the survival of these special creatures starting with requiring commercial fishing and shrimping operations to use TTED (Trash and Turtle Excluder Device).
Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles killed each year by shrimp trawl nets, longline hooks and fishing gillnets. Turtles have lungs and need air to breathe and survive. When trapped in nets, they are unable to swim to the surface to get that air, eventually leading them to drown.
TTED devices, with the special grids are equipped with grids that can open in the event that a turtle is accidently trapped in one of these nets allowing turtles to escape.
[Your comments]
This simple requirement would go a long way toward safeguarding one of the world's oldest and most special creatures. I urge you to require the use of turtle excluder devices.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Update #17 years ago
Petition with signatures and comments have been forwarded to the U. S. Congress. Thank you for your support in protecting so many sea turtles. I will keep you updated when I get new information on results for our efforts.
