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Defenders in Action: Loggerheads and Longlines Don't Mix
Fishing for grouper shouldn't include snagging sea turtles, says a coalition of conservation groups that includes Defenders of Wildlife. The coalition notified the National Marine Fisheries Service in January of its intent to sue if action is not immediately taken to protect sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico.
Nearly 1,000 threatened and endangered sea turtles were caught by the bottom longline fishing industry in the gulf between July 2006 and the end of 2007, according to government data. The coalition is asking that such fishing be suspended until the federal agency ensures that the fishery does not imperil sea turtles and other threatened species, as required by the Endangered Species Act.
Of particular concern are loggerheads, which accounted for 799 of the 974 captured turtles—a loss that could jeopardize the slow-to-breed species. "Already, loggerhead nesting populations in Florida have dropped by more than 40 percent in the last decade," says Sierra Weaver, a Defenders' attorney. "The large number of turtles injured or killed by the bottom longline fishery is likely contributing to the decline. We must stop and reassess the impacts of this fishery before it's too late."
Bottom longline gear generally consists of a 4- to 10-mile-long cable with as many as 2,100 hooks. The sea turtles, which also include Kemp's Ridley and green turtles, get caught on the lines when they try to bite the bait on the hooks. They can also become entangled when swimming near a line. Unable to surface, they suffocate and drown.
"The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible both for managing fisheries and for protecting endangered species," says Weaver. "Our sincere hope is that the agency will take seriously its responsibility for the sea turtles threatened by longline fishing and will move quickly to protect them without the need for a court order."
Learn more about Defenders' work to help sea turtles.
