Govt proposes protecting loggerhead turtles along 739mi of coast
A loggerhead sea turtle. (Photo Credit: Ukanda CC BY 2.0)
(UNITED STATES, 4/8/2013)
After five years of delay, the federal government has finally proposed to protect more than 739 mi of critical habitat for threatened loggerhead sea turtles on their nesting beaches along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts. These sea turtles face serious threats to their long-term survival from drowning in fishing nets, loss of nesting beaches due to coastal development and sea-level rise.
The proposal spans from North Carolina to Mississippi and encompasses 84 per cent of all known nesting areas.