Tell Canada to Protect Loggerhead Sea Turtles
- by: Oceana
- recipient: Faith Scattalon, Director General, Maritimes Region of Fisheries and Oceans
America's neighbor to the north is falling down on the job of protecting sea turtles, and we need your help to change its ways.
Every year, an estimated 1,200 loggerheads are caught in the Canadian pelagic longline fishery. That's a daily average of more than four sea turtles that are wounded by fishing gear in just this one fishery!
Fortunately, a government committee will meet soon to discuss the fishery, so please let them know that the survival of sea turtles is in their hands.
Dear Ms. Scattolon,
Sea turtles have been swimming the world's oceans for more than 110 million years, but their populations are at risk around the world. In Canadian waters, loggerhead sea turtles are especially susceptible to capture, injury and even death in pelagic longline fishing gear.
Incidental capture in fisheries has been shown to be the most significant manmade factor affecting loggerhead recovery. Recent estimates suggest that pelagic longlines may in fact be the most significant source of mortality for the western North Atlantic population of loggerheads. An estimated 1,200 loggerheads are caught annually in the Canadian pelagic longline fishery.
The western North Atlantic loggerhead population is declining. It is time for Canadian fisheries to stop injuring and killing this threatened population. I urge you to take action at the Atlantic Large Pelagic Advisory Committee (ALPAC) meeting to reduce the bycatch in the Canadian pelagic longline fishery. The survival of loggerhead sea turtles rests in your hands.
[Your comments here]
