Published Date:
21-Jan-2012
Print this article
shipping-exchangeThe largest of all sea turtles, the leatherback travels here from Indonesia to feed on the Monterey Bay's abundance of jellyfish. The protected habitat runs from Point Arena to Point Arguello in California, and from Oregon's Cape Blanco north to the Canadian border.

For several years environmentalists have been seeking the added protections for the reptile, which grows to the size of a compact car. A particularly fragile species susceptible to everything from fishing nets to ship strikes to egg poaching, leatherback numbers have dwindled by 95 percent since the 1980s.

Previous protections have focused on nesting areas, which in the U.S. are along the East Coast. The decision is the first to protect feeding and forage areas within the ocean.

"That's groundbreaking in terms of conservation of sea turtles," said Geoff Shester, California program director for Monterey-based Oceana.


While groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana and the Turtle Island Restoration Center sought the protections, they were disappointed the federal government didn't go further. The new protected area - which represents the largest sea turtle protected habitat in the U.S. - does not include sea turtle migratory routes.


Environmentalists say that exposes the turtle to danger from long-line and gillnet fishing practices.

"Habitat protections are vital to the survival of leatherbacks, but this rule falls short of the goal. Sea turtles will continue to swim a gauntlet to get to the best feeding areas off our coast, dodging ship traffic, long nets and hooks," said the Center for Biological Diversity's Catherine Kilduff.

In its ruling, the National Marine Fisheries Service downplayed the risk to leatherbacks from long-line fishing, saying the types of fishing allowed in U.S. waters minimizes the risk to migratory turtles.

The habitat designation also means a review of leatherback impacts will also be included in any new federal permits, which cover everything from new aquaculture farms to offshore oil drilling operations to desalinization plants.