Conservation

New Device to Protect Sea Turtles?

By sarajean on 6/28/09 9:40pm
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When I read stories like this one, two thoughts cross my mind. The first is, “Awesome! This is exactly what we need.” The second? “It’s about bloody time. Why haven’t we done this already?” Though sea turtle protection is long overdue—especially considering that all species of sea turtles are endangered—we can definitely welcome any protection now with open arms. Better late than never, right?

Since many sea turtles meet their untimely deaths in fisherman’s nets, a new device is being developed to target these nets in order to protect turtles. Fishery managers are using a Cape Cod company to develop a device that will allow them to continue using fishing nets while still protecting sea turtles.

Hopefully it’s not too good to be true.

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Baby Sea Turtles Released for World Turtle Day

By sarajean on 5/26/09 8:05pm
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With all of the news of the swine flu epidemic coming out of Mexico, some brighter news is always welcome. These sea turtles, released in Puerto Escondido, Mexico on World Turtle Day last Saturday, are definitely a ray of light—not just for Mexico, but for sea turtles in general.

All species of sea turtles are labeled as either endangered or threatened, so any attempts to increase their population provide hope for their survival. Though it’s illegal to hunt most turtle varieties, they are still captured and sold as a delicacy in China and many other countries—as well as used for leather products such as shoes and wallets.

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