From: "Matt Littlejohn" <
wavemaker@oceana.org>
Date: Sep 11, 2014 7:45 AM
Subject: turtles bound and drowned
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Liz,
Entangled in a net with its flippers trapped and flesh cut, a threatened or endangered sea turtle must attempt to hold its breath. This creature can go 55 minutes without taking a breath, but 65 minutes? 75 minutes? Longer?
More than 130 sea turtles may die every day, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, and a drowning like this one are a key cause. But together we can help change that.
You can help save sea turtles from being killed in trawl nets and protect our oceans by donating to Oceana now – We must reach our $15,000 Save Sea Turtles goal before the September 16 deadline.
Sea turtles have fascinated people for centuries. These creatures play an important role in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, eating jellyfish, keeping reefs healthy and much more. But these creatures are at risk.
The federal government requires all shrimp trawlers to take precautionary measures for sea turtles, such as using turtle excluder devices (TEDs), which decrease sea turtle deaths by 97 percent by providing an escape. But the state of Louisiana refuses to enforce the law, putting thousands of turtles in danger.
More than 50,000 sea turtles may be killed each year in the United States' southeast shrimp trawl fishery. With the impacts of human activities such as fishing taking such a large toll on their populations, it's no surprise that all five species of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are listed as endangered or threatened in the U.S.
Shrimp trawlers drag massive nets – some as wide as a football field – capturing everything in their path, including innocent turtles. Upon pulling in this indiscriminate fishing gear, lifeless turtles are plucked from the net and tossed back into the ocean – their once happy home now a watery grave.
Please donate $10 or more now to help save sea turtles – we can't let one more needlessly die. With your support Oceana will pressure Louisiana to follow the law and give turtles a fighting chance.
The odds are stacked against sea turtles in the Gulf, but together we can change that. Please show your support for these creatures by partnering with Oceana before the Sept. 16 deadline.
 For the oceans,
Matt Littlejohn
Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications and Marketing
Oceana
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