News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2000
CONTACT: Brian Sybert, Sierra Club 512/ 477-1729
Pam Baker, Environmental Defense 512/478-5161

Texas Environmental Groups Urge Action to Protect Sea Turtles

State Shrimp Regulation Review Initiative Provides Opportunity for Additional Sea Turtle Protection

Austin, TX- A high number of sea turtle deaths along the Texas coast has prompted the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense to call on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) to provide better protection for these endangered animals. Scientific studies indicate that shrimp fishing in 1999 is a leading culprit in the stranding of 95 of the world's most critically endangered sea turtle -- Kemp's ridleys. The vast majority of the 450 sea turtles stranded on Texas beaches last year were found dead.

"When dealing with a species such as the Kemp's ridley that is the world's most endangered sea turtle, 95 strandings in a year are far too many," said Page Williams, Coastal Issues Chair for the Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club. "We want TPWD to err on the side of caution to protect our state's endangered sea turtles."

The Sierra Club and Environmental Defense are calling on TPWD to close an area extending from the beach to a depth of about 42 feet (seven-fathoms) along the entire Texas coast to shrimping year round and out to 60 feet (10 fathoms) along Padre Island National Seashore during its mating and nesting season, March 1 through August 31. These are the areas where Kemp's ridleys appear to be most vulnerable. These measures - designed to protect critically endangered Kemp's ridleys from drowning in shrimp nets - can be implemented by TPWD as part of its "shrimp regulation review initiative." TPWD can implement the proposed closure by modifying its existing "seven-fathom closure" which already prohibits shrimp fishing from the beach to a depth of seven fathoms during winter and at night year-round along the Texas coast. These measures could help turtles and provide biological benefits to the shrimp fishery and economic benefits to shrimp fishermen.

"An expanded closure to shrimping could provide much needed protection for Kemp's ridleys, which suffers its highest level of mortality during the shrimping season every year," said Brian Sybert, Natural Resources Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. "The shrimp regulation review initiative provides TPWD with a perfect opportunity to step up to the plate and provide real protection for our state's endangered sea turtles."

"Efforts to recover Kemp's ridleys -- the protection of nesting beaches in Mexico and Texas, shrimp fishermen's use of turtle excluder devices in their nets, and the TPWD initiatives -- have helped increase the number of nests from a low of 700 in 1985 to over 3,600 in 1999," said Pamela Baker, a fisheries biologist with Environmental Defense. "Still, we are a long way from the more than 40,000 nests recorded just fifty years ago, and continued strandings may be hampering recovery."

The Kemp's ridley has historically nested on Padre Island and it is also where the National Park Service has imprinted turtles as part of an international multi-agency Kemp's ridley recovery program. Eleven out of the 16 Kemp's ridley nests discovered on Texas beaches were located on Padre Island in 1999. Imprinted turtles that were part of the recovery program are now starting to return to Padre Island National Seashore to nest - underscoring the importance of a closure to shrimping that covers the entire Kemp's ridley nesting season along Padre Island.

The Sierra Club and Environmental Defense are also calling on TPWD to help pay the costs for monitoring sea turtle nesting and strandings along Padre Island National Seashore. Currently, a variety of private and government sources are temporarily helping to pay for monitoring and protection. Monitoring is essential to determine if the proposed closures are saving turtles and whether other sources of sea turtle mortality need to be evaluated.

The shrimp regulation review initiative provides TPWD the opportunity to make minor changes to the current shrimp regulations that could have substantial benefits for sea turtles in Texas waters. "By extending existing shrimp fishing closures and helping pay for monitoring, TPWD can help prevent the tragic deaths of sea turtles along the Texas coast," said Sybert.

Click here to view Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Fact Sheet