Leatherback Sea Turtles Are Dying, California Puts New Protections In Place

SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) – Over the past 3 decades, the colonisation of leatherback oversea turtles successful California has declined each twelvemonth from 178 to conscionable 50, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Leatherback oversea turtles are the world’s largest turtle taxon weighing an mean of 1,000 pounds.

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They person been connected the national endangered taxon database since 1973, with a 5.6% alteration successful colonisation each year.

Recently, scientists person discovered however important California is to their survival, according to Catherine Kilduff, an lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity.

This subpopulation of oversea turtles hatches connected beaches successful Indonesia. Once afloat grown, they aquatics astir 6,000 miles to devour jellyfish disconnected the California coast.

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California is indispensable to their survival.

The California Fish and Game Commission, located successful Downtown Sacramento, voted Thursday to adhd the turtles nether the state’s Endangered Species Act.

Adding turtles to California’s endangered taxon database volition marque them a conservation precedence for authorities agencies. It volition besides summation the state’s practice with national agencies to support the oversea turtle population.

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“Leatherbacks that forage for jellyfish disconnected the California seashore volition present person greater extortion successful our authorities from entanglement successful sportfishing gear, giving them a amended accidental astatine survival,” said Todd Steiner, enforcement manager of Turtle Island Restoration Network. “We are hopeful this enactment volition enactment these ancient, gentle giants connected a way to recovery.”