Shrimp Trawls Continue Deadly Interactions with Texas Turtles
The 21+ dead Kemp’s ridley sea turtles found before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill were likely the result of deadly shrimp trawl interactions in the Upper Texas Gulf Coast, an area currently not adequately protected by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) draft Recovery Plan for the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle. Texas nesting beaches and coastal habitat should be prioritized as needing more protections for these endangered sea turtles. Click here to read more.
Strengthen Texas Protections to Ensure Recovery Continues
If Kemp's ridley numbers keep growing at current rates, the turtle could be reclassified from endangered to threatened as early as 2015. The upper Texas Gulf Coast can expect greater numbers of turtles and must get increased habitat protections to strengthen recovery efforts.
UPDATE: Add to our letter, include "Stop offhore oil drillling and prioritize habitat restoration"
We have until July 1 to ask the Recovery Plan Committee to update their Plan to include the growing numbers of Kemp’s ridleys nesting on Texas beaches and accelerate the scientific process of identifying the most important marine foraging, breeding and inter-nesting habitat for these endangered sea turtles.
