According to Amos, 210 sea turtles have come into the ARK just this year, which is a near record number. "Half of the 210 turtles were dead. It is very important to study what goes wrong, why they show up," he said. "There is absolutely no reason for a sea turtle to be on land ever, other than females coming up to lay their eggs. They spend 100 percent of their time in the ocean."
Many of the turtles die after becoming entangled in discarded fishing lines. He attributed much of that problem to recreational fishing, rather than commercial fishing. He said, "Recreational fishermen are not always very careful with their fishing lines."
Some are maimed and killed by boat propellers. Others die after ingesting trash, particularly plastic bags, which they mistake for jellyfish. Some are killed when they wander into areas where dredging is taking place.
Commercial longline fishing is another major threat. Although the practice is banned by state law within 9 miles of the Texas shoreline, it is still legal in some parts of the Gulf of Mexico that are under federal jurisdiction. Longline fishing involves the use of metal cables which extend for up to 60 miles behind a commercial fishing boat. The cable has baited hooks on it, sometimes thousands of them. One longlining technique involves lowering the cable close to the ocean floor in order to catch swordfish, sea bass, halibut, grouper, and tuna. The lines are either left to drift or are anchored in place. Sea turtles, which often forage near the bottom of the ocean, get caught on the hooks and drown. Another method uses light sticks to attract fish, and the turtles mistake the lights for jellyfish, a favorite food. Many other species of marine wildlife and sea birds are also frequently killed by longlining.
Acknowledging that previous longlining regulations were not providing enough protection, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued new rules in October to safeguard loggerhead sea turtles. The rule bans certain types of longlining in the eastern Gulf near Florida, an area with a large loggerhead population.
Since 1987, commercial shrimpers have been required to use nets equipped with turtle excluder devices (TEDs). When a large object such as a turtle runs into the TED, a hatch opens, allowing the turtle to escape. In 1989 the "shrimp-turtle law" was passed, which requires any country exporting shrimp to the United States to also use nets with TEDs. The device has significantly reduced turtle deaths, but enforcement remains difficult. On some models, the TED can be attached when a game warden is in sight and then easily removed.
Links
Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK)
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