Protect Pacific Leatherbacks from Longlines!

February 10, 2010 Subject: RIN 0648-XH38; I oppose the West Coast Longline EFP Dear Administrator Rodney R. McInnis I am opposed to the exempted fishing permit being considered by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that would allow swordfish longline fishing along the California and Oregon coast. The proposed permit will undermine successful conservation measures protecting imperiled sea turtles, valuable tuna stocks, seabirds, and other marine wildlife. I am particularly concerned by the potential impacts on the Pacific leatherback sea turtle, a species whose population has declined by 95% in the last 25 years. NMFS should not provide exemptions from existing fishing regulations prohibiting shallow-set longlining along the U.S. West Coast unless that effort is designed solely to provide useful scientific information focused on reducing the effects of fishing on vulnerable marine wildlife populations such as the Pacific leatherback. We will add your signature from the information you provide.		First Name* Last Name* Email* Street* Street 2 City* State/Province* Select a state Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Armed Forces (the) Americas Armed Forces Europe Armed Forces Pacific Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Newfoundland New Brunswick Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Other Zip/Postal Code* Send an Email