Friday, September 30, 2011
Good News- the recovery plan is working!
http://www.caller.com/news/2011/sep/29/kemps-ridley-turtle-recovery-is-succeeding/
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Slow Down Pardner! Call Your Reps Today!
U. S. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi has allowed a group of fishermen to influence him. He has added Amendment #24 to House Bill HR 2584 that would allow fishermen to drive faster on the Padre Island National Seashore during the nesting season of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. As you all know, a sea turtle covered by sand, or hatchlings, will be doomed with people driving 25 mph down the beach.
This amendment is deadly for the sea turtles. Please call your representative at either a local office or in Washington. You can find their phone number by going to http://www.house.gov/ where you can enter your zip code to find the right person and how to contact him/her.
Ted Poe’s Washington office is 866-425-6565 if he is your representative. He is mine, so I asked that he strike, block or remove Amendment #24 to House Bill HR 2584.
Please help today and pass this message on to others. Thank you!
This amendment is deadly for the sea turtles. Please call your representative at either a local office or in Washington. You can find their phone number by going to http://www.house.gov/ where you can enter your zip code to find the right person and how to contact him/her.
Ted Poe’s Washington office is 866-425-6565 if he is your representative. He is mine, so I asked that he strike, block or remove Amendment #24 to House Bill HR 2584.
Please help today and pass this message on to others. Thank you!
Carole H. Allen, Gulf Office DirectorSea Turtle Restoration Project (http://www.seaturtles.org/)And HEART (Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles) www. ridleyturtles.orgP. O. B ox 681231Houston, Texas 77268-1231Phone and FAX 281-444-6204
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Jimmy Carter Helps Release Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Jimmy Carter Helps Release Loggerhead Sea Turtle
NPR
by AP AP In this photo released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, former President Jimmy Carter watches "Danger," a loggerhead sea turtle, as it walks into ...
NPR
by AP AP In this photo released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, former President Jimmy Carter watches "Danger," a loggerhead sea turtle, as it walks into ...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Support Needed to Keep Kemp's Nesting Beach Safe!
A few years ago, residents and tourists near the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas were ecstatic that the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles were finally coming back to nest. It was a victory for the environment that would bring thousands of visitors to the Corpus Christi area. Now a group of fishermen are rejecting a common sense compromise and want to drive too fast on the National Seashore putting nesting sea turtles, children, families and pets at risk! No one is denying access to them, just asking all drivers to slow down during the nesting season of the sea turtles and camping season for visitors.
In 2009, as numbers of nesting ridleys increased, the superintendent at Padre Island National Seashore lowered the vehicle speed limit on the entire beach from 25 to 15 mph from April 1 to July 31-four months-which covered the entire Kemp's ridley nesting season. A vocal group of surf fishermen said they didn't like that idea. The Park then called for an Environmental Assessment (EA), which is underway.
In 2010, in the spirit of compromise, the superintendent shortened the length of speed reduction to April 15 to July 5-2.7 months-which this year did cover the nesting season. This isn't good enough for the fishermen who are trying to whip up public sentiment against a common sense approach at the Seashore. The comment period has been reopened until September 29.
Please take a moment to send an e-mail to: pais_superintendent@nps.gov
The choices are:
1. No action.
2. A seasonal 15 mph speed limit for the entire beach beginning at the occurrence of the first Kemp's ridley turtle nest observed within the park or April 15 -whichever is earlier- through the end of the Kemp's ridley nesting season.
3. A 15 mph speed limit from March 1 through November 30 for the entire beach. Outside of these dates (i.e.from December 1 through February 28), the speed limit from MM 2.5 south to Mansfield Channel would be 25 mph.
#2 or #3 would be common sense choices that would protect sea turtles, campers, children, pets and staff. This is an issue about an endangered species that nests on a national seashore so we should all speak up about it. Take time to send an e-mail to pais_superintendent@nps.gov asking for slower traffic during the nesting season.
Submitted by Carole H. Allen, Gulf Office Director
Sea Turtle Restoration Project
In 2009, as numbers of nesting ridleys increased, the superintendent at Padre Island National Seashore lowered the vehicle speed limit on the entire beach from 25 to 15 mph from April 1 to July 31-four months-which covered the entire Kemp's ridley nesting season. A vocal group of surf fishermen said they didn't like that idea. The Park then called for an Environmental Assessment (EA), which is underway.
In 2010, in the spirit of compromise, the superintendent shortened the length of speed reduction to April 15 to July 5-2.7 months-which this year did cover the nesting season. This isn't good enough for the fishermen who are trying to whip up public sentiment against a common sense approach at the Seashore. The comment period has been reopened until September 29.
Please take a moment to send an e-mail to: pais_superintendent@nps.gov
The choices are:
1. No action.
2. A seasonal 15 mph speed limit for the entire beach beginning at the occurrence of the first Kemp's ridley turtle nest observed within the park or April 15 -whichever is earlier- through the end of the Kemp's ridley nesting season.
3. A 15 mph speed limit from March 1 through November 30 for the entire beach. Outside of these dates (i.e.from December 1 through February 28), the speed limit from MM 2.5 south to Mansfield Channel would be 25 mph.
#2 or #3 would be common sense choices that would protect sea turtles, campers, children, pets and staff. This is an issue about an endangered species that nests on a national seashore so we should all speak up about it. Take time to send an e-mail to pais_superintendent@nps.gov asking for slower traffic during the nesting season.
Submitted by Carole H. Allen, Gulf Office Director
Sea Turtle Restoration Project
Monday, September 13, 2010
Galveston Isle State Park Survey
Hello everyone! There is a survey about the rebuilding of Galveston Island State Park online that is a great opportunity for us to ask for a sea turtle corral, an interpretative center so programs and exhibits can be seen about the Kemp’s ridleys, etc.
It takes a few minutes to get through the survey at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20100909a&nrtype=all&nrspan=2010&nrsearch=
but there are several opportunities to mention the need for a corral for sea turtles, keeping eggs on the Upper Texas Coast, releasing hatchlings in the Galveston area, etc. The need for a bigger nature center fits in several places. There is a public meeting at Texas A&M University at Galveston on the evening of September 21 and I hope some people can get there and ask for a corral. Pass the word to everyone you can and ask them to speak up about a corral, sea turtle interpretative center or whatever you want to say to support funding for the park and increasing attention by the state to the Kemp’s ridleys. Just speak up! Thanks!
Carole A.
It takes a few minutes to get through the survey at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20100909a&nrtype=all&nrspan=2010&nrsearch=
but there are several opportunities to mention the need for a corral for sea turtles, keeping eggs on the Upper Texas Coast, releasing hatchlings in the Galveston area, etc. The need for a bigger nature center fits in several places. There is a public meeting at Texas A&M University at Galveston on the evening of September 21 and I hope some people can get there and ask for a corral. Pass the word to everyone you can and ask them to speak up about a corral, sea turtle interpretative center or whatever you want to say to support funding for the park and increasing attention by the state to the Kemp’s ridleys. Just speak up! Thanks!
Carole A.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
PATROL HOURS NEEDED
Counting patrol time spent looking for Kemp’s ridley nesters or tracks on the Upper Texas Coast is very important. We need to submit all hours (or partial hours) by September 15.
If you went anywhere on the Upper Texas Coast (Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Brazos County, etc.), please send a message to Carole@seaturtles.org. She needs to know the following or as much as you can provide:
We need the following information for those areas where patrols wereconducted specifically to detect nesting:
1. Area that was patrolled -(ie. Galveston West Beach from __ to ______). Length of beach patrolled if available (if you donot know the length, we will calculate it by looking at a map and using thedescription of the area that was covered).
2. Total number of hours actually spent patrolling on the beach (ifmultiple people went on a patrol, only count the number of hours for one ofthose people for that patrol)
3. Total number of miles actually patrolled on the beach (if multiplepeople went on a patrol, only count the number of miles for one of thosepeople for that patrol)
4. Date of first patrol
5. Date of last patrol
6. Days of the week that were patrolled (ie. seven days per week, Mondaythrough Thursdays, intermittent)
7. Typical number of patrol passes each day (ie. one pass a day, two ormore trips made each day along the entire route, two or more patrollerscriss crossed, etc.)
8. Patrol method used (ie. walking, UTV, ATV, 4-wheel drive vehicle, or acombination)
Thanks.
If you went anywhere on the Upper Texas Coast (Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Brazos County, etc.), please send a message to Carole@seaturtles.org. She needs to know the following or as much as you can provide:
We need the following information for those areas where patrols wereconducted specifically to detect nesting:
1. Area that was patrolled -(ie. Galveston West Beach from __ to ______). Length of beach patrolled if available (if you donot know the length, we will calculate it by looking at a map and using thedescription of the area that was covered).
2. Total number of hours actually spent patrolling on the beach (ifmultiple people went on a patrol, only count the number of hours for one ofthose people for that patrol)
3. Total number of miles actually patrolled on the beach (if multiplepeople went on a patrol, only count the number of miles for one of thosepeople for that patrol)
4. Date of first patrol
5. Date of last patrol
6. Days of the week that were patrolled (ie. seven days per week, Mondaythrough Thursdays, intermittent)
7. Typical number of patrol passes each day (ie. one pass a day, two ormore trips made each day along the entire route, two or more patrollerscriss crossed, etc.)
8. Patrol method used (ie. walking, UTV, ATV, 4-wheel drive vehicle, or acombination)
Thanks.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Scientists Say Alarming Rise in Sea Turtle Deaths in Gulf Likely Linked to Failure to Properly Use Turtle Excluder Devices
For Immediate Release, August 18, 2010
Contact:
Andrea Treece, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 378-6558
Todd Steiner, Turtle Island Restoration Network, (415) 663-8590 x 103
Deborah Sivas, Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, (650) 723-0325
U.S. Government Will Take a New Look at Impacts of Shrimp Trawling on Imperiled Sea Turtles
Scientists Say Alarming Rise in Sea Turtle Deaths in Gulf Likely Linked to Failure to Properly Use Turtle Excluder Devices
PENSACOLA, Fla.— The National Marine Fisheries Service announced on Tuesday that it will examine whether shrimp trawling in the southeast United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, is jeopardizing threatened and endangered sea turtle populations. The government made this decision after finding unprecedented numbers of drowned sea turtles in the Gulf, particularly in Mississippi Sound.
The Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network, represented by the Stanford Law Clinic, had petitioned the government last month to undertake this new analysis under the Endangered Species Act and delay further shrimp trawling until adequate protections were in place. Despite significant concerns regarding its impacts on threatened and endangered sea turtles, the National Marine Fisheries Service allowed shrimp trawling in the Gulf to begin again this week.
“These turtles face even more serious challenges to their survival since BP spewed millions of gallons of oil and chemical dispersants into their habitat,” said Andrea Treece, an attorney with the Center. “Right now they need all the help we can give them. Losing even more turtles to drowning in shrimp trawls may just be too much for some species to rebound from.”
Wildlife rescuers have collected more than 1,000 sea turtles since the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout, more than of which 500 were dead. Scientists say that drowning was a primary culprit in death of sea turtles they’ve examined. Shrimp fishing can kill sea turtles when the air-breathing animals are caught in the trawls and prevented from surfacing to breathe; it is recognized as the annual leading cause of mortality to adult turtles from industrial fishing activities in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the world.
Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island, said today: “Shrimp fishing combined with the BP oil spill is a double whammy for sea turtles, especially the Kemp's ridley turtle, that pushes them ever more close to extinction. We expect the government's new biological opinion to issue hard caps on the number of turtles that can be caught in shrimp nets — and when that cap is reached, the fishing season must end to allow the species a chance to recover.”
Shrimp trawlers are required to install and use turtle excluder devices (TEDs), which allow sea turtles caught in shrimp nets to escape to the surface to breathe. However, reports of widespread non-compliance with excluder requirements and other measures designed to save turtles indicate that more remains to be done to protect the species.
“The government needs to do more than study whether shrimp trawling is jeopardizing sea turtles. It needs to ensure that adequate measures are in place and being enforced to protect those sea turtles,” said Deborah A. Sivas, a professor of environmental law and director of Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, which is representing the California- and Texas-based Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Fisheries Service suspects that lingering effects from the BP Horizon oil spill may also be making sea turtles more vulnerable to being caught and drowned in trawls. The Gulf of Mexico provides crucial breeding, feeding and migratory habitat for five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles: Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead, green, leatherback and hawksbill. All are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
###
Contact:
Andrea Treece, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 378-6558
Todd Steiner, Turtle Island Restoration Network, (415) 663-8590 x 103
Deborah Sivas, Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, (650) 723-0325
U.S. Government Will Take a New Look at Impacts of Shrimp Trawling on Imperiled Sea Turtles
Scientists Say Alarming Rise in Sea Turtle Deaths in Gulf Likely Linked to Failure to Properly Use Turtle Excluder Devices
PENSACOLA, Fla.— The National Marine Fisheries Service announced on Tuesday that it will examine whether shrimp trawling in the southeast United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, is jeopardizing threatened and endangered sea turtle populations. The government made this decision after finding unprecedented numbers of drowned sea turtles in the Gulf, particularly in Mississippi Sound.
The Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network, represented by the Stanford Law Clinic, had petitioned the government last month to undertake this new analysis under the Endangered Species Act and delay further shrimp trawling until adequate protections were in place. Despite significant concerns regarding its impacts on threatened and endangered sea turtles, the National Marine Fisheries Service allowed shrimp trawling in the Gulf to begin again this week.
“These turtles face even more serious challenges to their survival since BP spewed millions of gallons of oil and chemical dispersants into their habitat,” said Andrea Treece, an attorney with the Center. “Right now they need all the help we can give them. Losing even more turtles to drowning in shrimp trawls may just be too much for some species to rebound from.”
Wildlife rescuers have collected more than 1,000 sea turtles since the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout, more than of which 500 were dead. Scientists say that drowning was a primary culprit in death of sea turtles they’ve examined. Shrimp fishing can kill sea turtles when the air-breathing animals are caught in the trawls and prevented from surfacing to breathe; it is recognized as the annual leading cause of mortality to adult turtles from industrial fishing activities in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the world.
Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island, said today: “Shrimp fishing combined with the BP oil spill is a double whammy for sea turtles, especially the Kemp's ridley turtle, that pushes them ever more close to extinction. We expect the government's new biological opinion to issue hard caps on the number of turtles that can be caught in shrimp nets — and when that cap is reached, the fishing season must end to allow the species a chance to recover.”
Shrimp trawlers are required to install and use turtle excluder devices (TEDs), which allow sea turtles caught in shrimp nets to escape to the surface to breathe. However, reports of widespread non-compliance with excluder requirements and other measures designed to save turtles indicate that more remains to be done to protect the species.
“The government needs to do more than study whether shrimp trawling is jeopardizing sea turtles. It needs to ensure that adequate measures are in place and being enforced to protect those sea turtles,” said Deborah A. Sivas, a professor of environmental law and director of Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, which is representing the California- and Texas-based Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Fisheries Service suspects that lingering effects from the BP Horizon oil spill may also be making sea turtles more vulnerable to being caught and drowned in trawls. The Gulf of Mexico provides crucial breeding, feeding and migratory habitat for five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles: Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead, green, leatherback and hawksbill. All are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
###
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