June 16, 2014 — The following was released by NOAA:
Today, NOAA Fisheries joins our domestic and international partners to celebrate World Sea Turtle Day, which coincides with the launch of NOAA Fisheries' first-ever Sea Turtle Week. Over the course of this week, we will highlight our conservation efforts and scientific research to safeguard and recover sea turtles — one of the oldest sentinels of the sea — and what they tell us about the health of our oceans.
At NOAA Fisheries, our sea turtle program spans our headquarters, regional offices, and science centers nationwide in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific. We also work with our partners, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state agencies, to respond to strandings, test innovative gear to reduce sea turtle bycatch, develop regulations to improve sea turtle recovery, conduct critical science so we better understand the six sea turtle species that are found in U.S. waters, and collaborate extensively with our international partners to conserve these wide-ranging magnificent species.
Reducing sea turtle bycatch in commercial and recreational fisheries is one of our most important conservation activities. The United States, including our partners in the state governments, the fishing industry, and the conservation community, successfully implemented some of the most progressive sea turtle bycatch mitigation measures in the world. But, to recover sea turtles, we still have more to do. Over the coming months, we will be testing new gear to increase the survivorship of sea turtles in trawl and gillnet fisheries and developing new tools to decrease bycatch in U.S. fisheries
Please take some time this week to explore our website to learn about what we are doing for sea turtles.