Lawsuit Launched to Protect Sea Turtles From Drowning in Shrimp Trawls

Unusually Large Numbers of Turtles Washing Ashore Dead o Beaches

Conservation groups formally notified the National Marine Fisheries Service today of their intent to sue the agency and three Gulf of Mexico states for failing to protect endangered sea turtles from entanglement and drowning in shrimp trawls. Record numbers of dead sea turtles are turning up on Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama beaches. On average, about 97 sea turtles wash ashore annually in these three states, but already this year 322 dead turtles have been found. Also, despite the likely devastating impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on endangered sea turtles, the Fisheries Service has done nothing to enhance sea turtle protections.

“Sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico that were lucky enough to survive the oil spill are now dying in fishing nets,” said Jacyln Lopez, staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Killing endangered sea turtles is unacceptable and will drive them to extinction. This lawsuit is a clarion call to the Fisheries Service: Sea turtles need emergency action now to save them.”…

Source: Center for Biological Diversity