The United States government is looking at adding loggerhead sea turtles in the Pacific to the endangered species list.
Loggerhead turtles all over are already classified as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act. However, environmentalists believe a higher level of protection is necessary. The National Marine Fisheries Service is considering upgraded protection for loggerheads along the California coast and around Hawaii.
Managers of Pacific Ocean fisheries say that recent years have seen huge improvements in protection for Pacific loggerheads. Sea turtle advocates beg to differ, estimating that tens of thousands of turtles are killed each year by commercial fishing and coastal development. Environmental groups estimate that there are less than one thousand female loggerheads returning to Pacific beaches to nest.
Among the threats to loggerhead sea turtles are:
- Fishing gear, which can cause the turtles to drown. Longline fishing — where lines full of hooks stretch for miles — snag fish, birds, and turtles alike.
- Loss of nesting beaches to erosion.
- Loss of nesting beaches to rising water levels.
- Loss of nesting beaches to coastal development.
- Global warming — higher temperatures cause more females to be hatched, skewing gender ratios.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Group points to Mexico — where the loggerheads migrate — as the site for the most turtle fatalities. The Western Pacific Council recently completed a five year review of loggerhead population and activity and determined that the number of turtles endangered or killed by fishery activity had gone down in the area.
Regardless of the culprit, listing Pacific loggerhead sea turtles as endangered will be the first step towards ensuring greater protection for these animals. East coast environmental groups are also hoping to see similar consideration soon for Atlantic Ocean loggerhead sea turtles.
If you are interested in helping protect loggerhead sea turtles on either (or both) coasts, try writing to your elected officials and encouraging their support for animal conservation.