Five species of sea turtles are found in the Gulf of Mexico. All five were pushed to the brink of extinction due to human activity. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 listed all sea turtles in the United States as threatened or endangered except the flatback turtle. Under the Act, it is illegal to harm or in any way interfere with a sea turtle or its eggs.
In Florida, fishing piers are prime territories for turtle entanglements, where the animals are hooked or entangled in active or discarded fishing gear. Hundreds of these incidents are reported each year along with strandings and incidental captures. There are turtle excluder devices that are added to fishing nets, and these have been required by law in the United States since 1987. They have greatly reduced turtle mortality.
There are significant efforts in Florida to rescue sea turtles from entanglements and other hazards. A program called the Responsible Pier Initiative is a group of 76 organizations in Florida and other states that respond to sea turtle entanglements. RPI groups have reported 2,230 turtle interactions and 1,181 rescues since it was founded in 2013.
Large numbers of volunteers staff key Florida piers during prime turtle activity hours. These volunteers free turtles from entanglements and, when necessary, transport them to approved rehab facilities where veterinarians can evaluate, treat, and hopefully release turtles back into the wild.
Sea turtles have shown strong population rebounds after the development of turtle exclusion devices, stronger conservation laws worldwide, and the efforts of volunteers like those in Florida.
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References:
A Massive Volunteer Network in Florida Works to Save Endangered Sea Turtles
