Save Turtles from Dying in Shrimp Nets
- by: Oceana
- recipient: National Marine Fisheries Service
Dead sea turtles are washing up on Gulf shores by the hundreds. More are falling uncounted onto the ocean floor. They are victims of drowning, caught in shrimp nets and unable to escape.
Shrimp nets don't have to kill. They can - and should - include escape hatches called Turtle Excluder Devices. But records show that many fishermen are ignoring the rules, and no one is stopping them.
Speak out against this unnecessary massacre. Call on the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce the rules already on the books and protect endangered and threatened turtles.
Dear Michael Barnette,
National Marine Fisheries Service
I'm outraged to learn that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has turned a blind eye to violations of sea turtle protections in the shrimp fishery. Despite evidence of illegal activity which likely has caused thousands of endangered and threatened sea turtles to be needlessly killed by shrimp trawls, NMFS has yet to solve the problem.
But there are solutions. NMFS needs to implement a long term plan to conduct enforcement in this fishery, require TEDs to be used in all trawl fisheries, and set fishing closures in times and areas with high sea turtle abundance.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is dragging its feet. Please take rapid action to save threatened and endangered sea turtles from the shrimp fishery and others that are using similar gear where turtles are present.
