A Washington, D.C.-based environmental organization notified the U.S. government on Tuesday that it intends to file a lawsuit unless “immediate” action is taken to prevent Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishermen from inadvertently catching, and killing, threatened and endangered sea turtles.
Oceana made the announcement as it released a report finding that many Gulf shrimp fishermen are failing to properly use turtle excluded devices (TEDs), which allow turtles to escape from fishing nets. The report claimed that 17 percent of the Gulf shrimp fleet is killing nearly 90 percent of the sea turtles they encounter, which is far more than the U.S. government initially estimated.
The report’s findings are based on documents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminsitation’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. The documents “identified serious violations of TED requirements and a failure by the government to require TEDs in skimmer trawls, although the documents clearly demonstrate that such protections were and are necessary to prevent sea turtles from being caught and drowned.” Out of the 112 documented vessels, only 23 (21 percent) were found fully compliant with TED regulations, said Oceana in its report.
“Sea turtles in the Gulf have enough threats without adding illegal fishing into the mix,” said Elizabeth Griffin Wilson, senior manager for marine wildlife at Oceana. “The problem is clear, but there is an even clearer solution. These deaths can and must be stopped.”
Tuesday’s letter was addressed to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eric Schwaab and Roy Crabtree, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region.
