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
Sunday, September 19, 2010
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.
###
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Sea Turtle Deaths from Shrimp Fishing to Get New Review After Notice to Sue Filed by Conservation Organization
Sea Turtle Restoration Project-Texas
Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles
Gulf Office: P.O. Box 681231, Houston, Texas 77268
Telephone and FAX 281 444-6204
www.ridleyturtles.org
www.seaturtles.org
NEWS RELEASE
A lawsuit threatened by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP) has brought action from the National Marine Fisheries Service to stop the killing of sea turtles across the Gulf of Mexico. Their Southeast Regional Office has announced it will reinitiate Section 7 consultation on shrimp trawling under the Endangered Species Act in both state and federal waters of the southeastern United States.
“Shrimp fishing continues to injure and kill thousands of sea turtles in the Gulf each year because many shrimpers refuse to utilize a simple piece of equipment called a Turtle Excluder Device that can allow turtles to escape their nets,” said Carole Allen, Sea Turtle Restoration Project’s Gulf of Mexico Director.
STRP filed a 60-day Intent to Sue Notice in July following reports of hundreds of dead sea turtles in Mississippi waters. Examinations of dead turtles showed few of them died from oil but instead from “forced submergence” in shrimp trawls. Others have been killed by sand dredging in Louisiana where the shrimping season reopened on August 16. Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) are not required on shrimp trawls in their state waters threatening even more sea turtles. In addition, recent NOAA inspections of the east Texas shrimp fleet found problems with TED implementation.
Shrimp fishing is the major cause of human-induced sea turtle mortality according to scientists. Tens of thousands of sea turtles are caught each year in US waters in giant nets drug along the bottom resulting in serious injury and death.
Todd Steiner, Biologist and Executive Director of STRP, 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."
Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles
Gulf Office: P.O. Box 681231, Houston, Texas 77268
Telephone and FAX 281 444-6204
www.ridleyturtles.org
www.seaturtles.org
NEWS RELEASE
A lawsuit threatened by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP) has brought action from the National Marine Fisheries Service to stop the killing of sea turtles across the Gulf of Mexico. Their Southeast Regional Office has announced it will reinitiate Section 7 consultation on shrimp trawling under the Endangered Species Act in both state and federal waters of the southeastern United States.
“Shrimp fishing continues to injure and kill thousands of sea turtles in the Gulf each year because many shrimpers refuse to utilize a simple piece of equipment called a Turtle Excluder Device that can allow turtles to escape their nets,” said Carole Allen, Sea Turtle Restoration Project’s Gulf of Mexico Director.
STRP filed a 60-day Intent to Sue Notice in July following reports of hundreds of dead sea turtles in Mississippi waters. Examinations of dead turtles showed few of them died from oil but instead from “forced submergence” in shrimp trawls. Others have been killed by sand dredging in Louisiana where the shrimping season reopened on August 16. Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) are not required on shrimp trawls in their state waters threatening even more sea turtles. In addition, recent NOAA inspections of the east Texas shrimp fleet found problems with TED implementation.
Shrimp fishing is the major cause of human-induced sea turtle mortality according to scientists. Tens of thousands of sea turtles are caught each year in US waters in giant nets drug along the bottom resulting in serious injury and death.
Todd Steiner, Biologist and Executive Director of STRP, 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."
Monday, August 16, 2010
Updated Sea Turtle Nesting for 2010
Subject: Texas Nest Update species correction
Today, it was discovered at hatching that a nest previously identified as
loggerhead is actually Kemp's ridley. This nest had been found on Boca
Chica Beach. Tallies are adjusted accordingly below.
KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE
So far this year, 140 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas
coast including (north to south in state):
Bolivar Peninsula 3
Galveston Island 8
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 3
Surfside Beach 1
Bryan Beach 1
Matagorda Peninsula 2
Matagorda Island 2
San Jose Island 1
Mustang Island 5
North Padre Island 82, including 74 at Padre Island National Seashore
South Padre Island 28
Boca Chica Beach 4
The state total of 140 is less than the record 197 Kemp's ridley nests
documented in Texas during 2009.
LOGGERHEAD TURTLE
So far this year, 5 loggerhead nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast
including (north to south in state):
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 0
North Padre Island 5, including 5 at Padre Island National Seashore
The state total of 5 is less than the record 6 loggerhead nests documented
in Texas.
GREEN TURTLE
So far this year, 9 green turtle nest has been confirmed on the Texas coast
including (north to south in state):
North Padre Island 9, including 9 at Padre Island National Seashore
The state total of 9 sets a new record of green sea turtle nests documented
in Texas. The previous record was 5.
Today, it was discovered at hatching that a nest previously identified as
loggerhead is actually Kemp's ridley. This nest had been found on Boca
Chica Beach. Tallies are adjusted accordingly below.
KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE
So far this year, 140 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas
coast including (north to south in state):
Bolivar Peninsula 3
Galveston Island 8
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 3
Surfside Beach 1
Bryan Beach 1
Matagorda Peninsula 2
Matagorda Island 2
San Jose Island 1
Mustang Island 5
North Padre Island 82, including 74 at Padre Island National Seashore
South Padre Island 28
Boca Chica Beach 4
The state total of 140 is less than the record 197 Kemp's ridley nests
documented in Texas during 2009.
LOGGERHEAD TURTLE
So far this year, 5 loggerhead nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast
including (north to south in state):
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 0
North Padre Island 5, including 5 at Padre Island National Seashore
The state total of 5 is less than the record 6 loggerhead nests documented
in Texas.
GREEN TURTLE
So far this year, 9 green turtle nest has been confirmed on the Texas coast
including (north to south in state):
North Padre Island 9, including 9 at Padre Island National Seashore
The state total of 9 sets a new record of green sea turtle nests documented
in Texas. The previous record was 5.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Alabama Hatchling Emerging From Nest
Cool video of hatchling emerging from the nest in daytime!
You will see a hatchling (not a ridley) making his way out of the nest on a beach in Alabama. It was a daytime hatching and volunteers sat in the sun to make sure the hatchlings were protected when they emerged and went to the water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifxMBDSlIag
You will see a hatchling (not a ridley) making his way out of the nest on a beach in Alabama. It was a daytime hatching and volunteers sat in the sun to make sure the hatchlings were protected when they emerged and went to the water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifxMBDSlIag
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