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Save Cocos Island National Park from Longline Fishing

The pristine waters of Cocos Island, Costa Rica are home to the critically endangered eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtles and a rich diversity of marine life, all of which are threatened by continued longline fishing near this National Park. We need your help to call on President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica to provide the greatest possible protections for sea turtles and marine wildlife throughout the Cocos Ridge region.

Longlines Plague Cocos Island's Marine Ecosystem

The area is one of the very few places on earth where ocean life still thrives as it once did everywhere on the planet, yet tens of thousands of endangered sea turtles and sharks are being hooked and killed there every year.

Currently, even though fishing is outlawed in the 12 nautical miles of ocean surrounding Cocos Island National Park, longliners are still seen poaching sea life there.  Just outside of the official no-fishing zone, industrial longliners scour the ocean for mahi-mahi to catch and sharks to fin. Longliners set fishing lines that are miles long, with thousands upon thousands of hooks that snag whatever’s in the way, including sea turtles.

Help Create an International Marine Protected Area Between Cocos and Galapagos

STRP is calling for the creation of a much larger, international marine protected area with Ecuador that connects Cocos with the Galapagos Islands. This swath of ocean is a key "swimway" for sea turtles and a vast profusion of marine life.

Sign the petition below to President Chinchilla asking for a comprehensive and effective plan to save the Cocos Island region and its endangered sea turtles!

Dear President Chinchilla,

I am writing to call on you to provide greater protections for sea turtles and marine wildlife throughout the Cocos Ridge region. First, please increase enforcement of the no-fishing zone to stop outlaw longliners at Cocos Island National Park. Second, create a true no-fishing zone in the Seamount Marine Management Area. Finally, take a leadership role to create an international marine protected area with Ecuador that connects Cocos with the Galapagos to protect one of the most life-filled ocean regions left in the world. Your action now can save sea turtles, sharks, and marine life.

Sincerely,

Optional Member Code

1-25 of 3863 signatures
Number Date Name Location
3863 Mon Jun 17 15:35:04 EDT 2013 Kelsey Baker Novato, CA , United States
3862 Mon Jun 10 17:20:54 EDT 2013 ???? ?????????? ?????, NY , US
3861 Sun Jun 09 07:55:55 EDT 2013 filiz selmanFilizSelman ist, NY , US
3860 Sat Jun 08 14:41:47 EDT 2013 Hope Christmann IL , US
3859 Wed May 29 06:03:38 EDT 2013 Helene Beck Aarhus, ot , DK
3858 Mon May 27 07:04:36 EDT 2013 Tatyana Sheina Orenburg, ot , RU
3857 Tue May 21 21:48:15 EDT 2013 Tonnja berry burbank, CA , United States
3856 Tue May 21 21:48:03 EDT 2013 Tonnja berry burbank, CA , United States
3855 Tue May 21 18:59:16 EDT 2013 Jessica Pynn Lawton, OK , US
3854 Thu May 16 11:06:12 EDT 2013 Earl Guernsey Liverpool, NY , US
3853 Wed May 15 21:33:21 EDT 2013 ER CULCLASURE HIGH POINT, NC , United States
3852 Sun Apr 21 19:54:35 EDT 2013 Elizabeth Hestnes Weston, MA , US
3851 Sun Apr 21 19:51:48 EDT 2013 Elizabeth Hestnes Weston, MA , US
3850 Wed Apr 03 10:04:45 EDT 2013 Olga Ukhova Krasnoyarsk, RU
3849 Sat Mar 30 09:32:36 EDT 2013 Bhavani Saravanan Marietta, GA , US
3848 Sun Mar 24 19:42:13 EDT 2013 ruth petrov Henrico, VA , United States
3847 Thu Mar 14 17:31:48 EDT 2013 Ilya Skripin Temirtau, FL , KZ
3846 Thu Mar 14 17:01:46 EDT 2013 Roberta Turpin Redcliffe, ot , AU
3845 Sun Mar 03 00:05:21 EST 2013 Nikki Appavoo MU
3844 Tue Feb 26 17:17:08 EST 2013 Laurie Newman Columbus, OH , United States
3843 Tue Feb 26 17:10:20 EST 2013 vicki ginoli springfield , IL , United States
3842 Mon Feb 25 15:44:31 EST 2013 dustin howland woodbridge, CA , US
3841 Mon Feb 25 04:42:57 EST 2013 Vlad Linnik Minsk, BY
3840 Fri Feb 22 20:07:43 EST 2013 Kiersten Monahan Newtown, CT , US
3839 Fri Feb 22 20:06:56 EST 2013 Kiersten Monahan Newtown, CT , US
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Sea Turtle Restoration Project • PO Box 370 • Forest Knolls, CA 94933, USA
Phone: +1 415 663 8590 • Fax: +1 415 663 9534 • info@seaturtles.org
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