Protect Sea Turtles From Harmful Fishing Practices

Therese Conant, Chief,
Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division
Office of Protected Resources, NMFS
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

I am writing to support the petition to designate critical habitat for the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Pacific Ocean waters off of California and Oregon.

The population of leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean has declined by 90% in the past three decades, primarily due to drowning in industrial longline and gillnet fisheries
targeting swordfish, sharks and tunas. Designating the Pacific Leatherback Conservation Area as critical habitat is an important first step toward the ultimate recovery of the species.

Research shows that the rich waters off the coast of California and Oregon are one of the most important foraging areas for the critically endangered leatherback sea turtles. Leatherback sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean have benefited greatly from critical habitat designation around the U.S. Virgin Islands. With the Pacific Ocean population in dramatic decline, it is time to designate critical habitat in the Pacific.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]