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Decline of the Sea Turtles Causes and Prevention (1990) / Chapter Skim
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1. Introduction
Pages 16-20

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From page 16...
... The ESA requires protection of both categories. A principal goal of this report, which was mandated by the 1988 amendments to the ESA, is to provide a sound scientific basis for protecting these endangered and threatened species of sea turtles.
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From page 17...
... For at least 2 decades, however, several factors appear to have contributed unevenly but increasingly to the decline of sea turtle populations along the Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico: physical and ecological degradation of turtle nesting habitats; plastics and persistent debris in marine ecosystems; continued turtle harvesting in international waters; activities associated with oil and gas development; collision with power boats; explosive devices; and shrimp trawling. In fact, several reports in the 1980s argued that the inadvertent capture and mortality (presumably through drowning)
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From page 18...
... By 1983, NMFS had tried a voluntary compliance program encouraging shrimpers to use TEDs, but few shrimpers responded. Instead, most shrimpers regarded TEDs as nuisances and remained unconvinced that the devices provided sufficient economic incentive in the form of catch purity.
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From page 19...
... The regulations including trawler size, geographic zones, seasons, tow-time restrictions, exemptions, and starting dates" were publishedin the FederalRegisterE52 (1241:24247-24262, June 28, 19871. The controversy and concern over the deaths of turtles in trawl nets of shrimpers and the potential effects of the proposed regulations to protect turtles on the shrimping industry then motivated Congress to amend reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act in 1988.
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From page 20...
... It reviewed pertinent published literature and analyzed original data sets on aerial and beach turtle surveys, shrimp trawling efforts, other commercial fisheries, turtle strandings, and other materials from a variety of organizations and experienced individuals. The present report reviews available scientific and technical information on the biology, reproductive dynamics, behavior, and distribution of five species of sea turtles.
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Key Terms

  • relevant species
  • sea turtle
  • endangered species
  • turtle populations
  • shrimping industry

  • shrimp trawls
  • species act
  • five species
  • shrimp trawling
  • endangered throughout

  • marine fisheries
  • significant portion
  • inadvertent capture
  • national marine
  • turtle excluder

  • excluder devices
  • commercial fisheries
  • threatened species
  • sea grant
  • fisheries service

  • power boats
  • exclude turtles
  • effectively exclude
  • economic issues
  • act amendments

  • population size
  • marine resources
  • reproductive phases
  • major factors
  • geographic zones


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