Comment from Joseph Ransdell-Green

I am writing to support the 70,000 plus square miles of proposed Critical Habitat for the leatherback sea turtles off the west coast of the U.S. Being the world’s most endangered marine turtle, the Pacific Leatherback is absolutely in need of Critical Habitat for its recovery. Our generation will be held responsible if we let an animal that is old as the dinosaurs to be wiped off the face of the planet. Although this is major step in the right direction, protection from commercial fishing must be addressed. It is a major cause of mortality for these turtles and NOAA should not avoid controversial ground. In the final designation of the proposed Critical Habitat, you must include protection from commercial fishing gear, including gillnet and longline gear. If this is not done it will severely degrade the value of the Critical Habitat. The current Leatherback Conservation Area protections, including closing the area to drift gillnet fishing from August to November, should remain in place and upheld as long as this antiquated gear is allowed in the country. The Critical Habitat will do very little to help with the recovery of the Pacific Leatherback population if protections from commercial fishing are not included. Without safe areas to feed and gain energy for their migration back to nesting sites in New Guinea and Indonesia, this population of Leatherback sea turtles will dramatically decline or become extinct. I am urging you to please provide the proper protection in this Critical Habitat designation that will safeguard these Leatherbacks sea turtles. Thank you for listening. Sincerely, Joseph Ransdell-Green