Comment from Claire Saunders

I am appalled that anyone would consider changing the current legislation, and thus increasing the current limit on incidental interactions that occur annually between loggerhead sea turtles and shallow-set long line fishing. The idea is absurd and irresponsible. Sea turtles are in extremely low numbers and it is our duty to protect them in any way we can. It is imperative that they do not become another extinct species due to human ignorance. Sea turtles begin their lives in eggs buried in the sand. After a two-month incubation, the young turtles hatch and run to the sea, facing attack by a variety of predators (e.g., birds, crabs, fish) along the way. They drift at sea until they are about a foot long and then, depending on the species, may move closer to shore to feed. Sea turtles mature at around age 30. The males then spend their whole lives at sea, while females mate with the males at sea and then go to the beach to dig a hole and lay their eggs. Female sea turtles may lay eggs several times during a single season. The majority of sea turtles caught will be adolescent, and this means that there are few turtles of ‘breeding age’ left in the sea. This poses a serious risk to the survival of the species. All seven species of sea turtles are listed under the Endangered Species Act. This is because they are dangerously low in numbers and are at risk from a number of threats, including the harvesting of their eggs for human consumption, entanglement and entrapment in fishing gear (!), ingestion of litter and coastal development. “The proposed rule is intended to increase opportunities for the shallow-set fishery to sustainably harvest swordfish and other fish species, without jeopardizing the continued existence of sea turtles and other protected resources.” Every year thousands of marine animals are accidentally caught in fishing nets and on fishing lines. There is NO WAY that you can ensure that sea turtles will not fall victim to a painful death.