Images depicting anguished and disillusioned sea turtles cocooned in gill nets have spurred debate over whether North Carolina should restrict or ban the nets along its waters.
An intended lawsuit against state authorities, the anticipated temporary closure of gill net fisheries and the pending release of a documentary film levying charges against North Carolina for fishery mismanagement underscore how a movement in favor of banning the nets is swelling.
The imminent lawsuit, soon to be filed by Duke University lawyers and law students, on behalf of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital in Topsail Island against the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and the Marine Fisheries Commission, accuses state authorities of violating the endangered species act by licensing and permitting gill nets, which are notorious for unintentionally trapping sea turtles, said hospital director Jean Beasley.
In the lawsuit’s wake, the state announced on Jan. 11 that it was undertaking a sweeping endeavor to temporarily close gill net fisheries from May 15 to Dec. 15 of this year while it develops a statewide federal permit to limit takes of endangered species—an action lauded by several in favor of gill net restrictions.