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.
Comment from Claire Saunders
This is comment on Proposed Rule
International Fisheries Regulations; Fisheries in the Western Pacific; Pelagic Fisheries; Hawaii-based Shallow-set Longline Fishery
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Comment from Claire Saunders
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Comment from Claire Saunders
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