Ocean Sentry
State marine officials are studying a rash of unexplained sea turtle deaths that have recently occurred along Mississippi beaches. The turtles have included two loggerhead turtles and five Kemp’s Ridley turtles. The latest turtle was discovered near the ruins of an old pier on the Waveland beach, westward of the veterans’ memorial near the foot of Coleman Avenue. It was lying on the beach Wednesday until DMR officials removed it.
It was not known if the deaths were related to a large number of turtle deaths attributed to long-line commercial reef-fishing activity in the Gulf of Mexico. This week the NOAA Fisheries Service announced an emergency rule to help protect endangered loggerhead turtles.
The creatures are being caught up and injured or killed by long lines. The new temporary rule takes effect May 18. It moves the minimum depth for commercial reef long-line fishing to seaward of the 50-fathom contour in the Gulf, instead of the current depth, which is seaward of 20 fathoms.
The Kemp’s Ridley is a smaller variety of sea turtle that grows to a maximum weight of about 100 pounds. The larger loggerhead can grow to a length of more than three feet and can weigh up to 800 pounds.
(From sunherald.com, Mississippi, by J.R. Welsh)
