The U.S. government intends to reclassify the loggerhead sea turtle, a common visitor to Virginia waters, as an endangered species along the East Coast.
The marine creature, which can weigh up to 250 pounds and measure 3 feet long, has been protected as a threatened species since 1978. Yet its nesting activity from Virginia to Florida – especially in Florida – continues to decline significantly, prompting the government to seek stricter controls.
Two federal agencies announced their recommendations this week after a yearlong investigation of loggerhead trends worldwide.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service urge that loggerheads be separated into nine populations, seven of which should be deemed threatened and two endangered – one on the East Coast, one on the West Coast.