Target: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Richard W. Spinrad
Goal: Stop sea turtle species from going extinct through better conservation efforts.
Nearly six of the existing seven sea turtle species are endangered and/or threatened with extinction. The last 200 years have put their population at a steady decline based on climate change and most significantly, human activity. They have been endangered since 1970, and several conservation efforts have occurred to help sustain their species, but it still declines daily.
Oceanic ecosystems have faced ramifications because of pollution and climate change. Many sea turtle habitats are ruined and can no longer be reproduced in. The act of poaching sea turtles and/or sea turtle eggs has slowly diminished, but years ago, this was a common occurrence that killed off many turtles. The animals would be exploited for their meat and other resources, causing a drastic decline in their population. Now, sea turtles are most often killed from commercial fishing. They can get caught in fishing nets and face injury, or even death. Sometimes, they even get unintentionally captured by fishermen. Commercial fishing is such a widespread practice that kills off hundreds of marine animals, but it most directly harms sea turtles.
If sea turtles continue to die off, it is predicated that nearly all their species will vanish by 2040. These animals are needed for the biodiversity within their habitats and need to be preserved. Sign this petition to promote better conservation efforts to save sea turtle populations.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear NOAA Administrator Spinrad,
Within the next twenty years, sea turtles are going to be nearly extinct. Several actions have been done to prevent this issue, but their population still continues to dwindle every day. They directly face the ramifications of climate change, pollution, and just overall humanity.
Commercial fishing plays a huge part in why sea turtles are endangered. They often get stuck in nets, harming or killing them. Furthermore, they’ll get accidentally captured and killed by fishermen. They were once hunted for the meat, shells, or eggs. This is not as common as it was years ago, but it still continues to happen. Due to human activity, important resources and nutrients in oceanic habitats are removed, causing a decrease in sea turtle reproduction. If their habitats can’t sustain the already present populations, there’s no way it can sustain more life.
We urge you and NOAA to do more to stabilize sea turtle habitats. They’re facing severe habitat loss, and this needs to be combated in any way it can. Based on the drastic effects of commercial fishing, more needs to be done to prevent these populations from the harm of these practices. Please save sea turtles from endangerment. We appreciate your attention to this message.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Pexels
Turtles, Right Whales, dolphins, birds, and most sea life, lose their lives to fishing nets and junk left behind by fisheries. We need to have ALL countries place cameras on ALL vessles which would show the speed of the ship and also full coverage of the boat for strikes made by the boat. Any harm done due to this practice needs to have the boat or ship confiscated by authorities. All government must uphold these terms for their vessels. This is one of the most important steps which can be taken to protect species of the ocean,