Coalition of Conservation Groups Threaten to File Lawsuit
Posted: Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
According to a recent report a coalition of conservation groups has threatened to file a lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service over the death of Loggerhead sea turtles. The groups have said that if something is not done they will look at filing the lawsuit as early on as March.
The groups want the agency to ensure the protection of endangered sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, after figures showed that between July 2006 and December 2007 the bottom longline fishery resulted in the capture of nearly one thousand threatened and endangered sea turtles in that area.
The coalition of conservation groups has now stated that it wants a suspension places on the bottom longline fishery until the federal agency can prove that it is meeting its obligations in line with the Endangered Species Act. It wants the agency to ensure that the turtles and other threatened species in the Gulf of Mexico are protected.
One official said: “Allowing this fishery to continue to kill threatened and endangered turtles while the government studies the problem is irresponsible and illegal.” Another said: “Now that the National Marine Fisheries Service knows the longline fleet is jeopardizing the future of the turtle populations they have a duty to act immediately.”
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