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Protecting Green Sea Turtles Leatherback Sea Turtle Visits in the Face of Climate Change Bay Area

NEOFTHEFIRSTCON- OFIRMED sightings of an endangered Pacific leather - back sea turtle this season occurred on Saturday, Aug. 15th near Pedro Point in Pacifica, Calif. Leather - backs, like the one spotted, migrate across the entire Pacific Ocean, over 6,500 miles each way, to feed on jellyfish along our Pacific Coast.

Captain Roger Thomas of the Salty Lady, a sport fishing boat, spotted the leatherback coming up for air, and passenger Peter Winch captured the sighting with his camera. REEN SEA TURTLES once num- green sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico and Gbered in the millions, but now less the Caribbean all nest on a single Costa Turtle Island won protections for than 1 percent remain on our blue- Rican beach that is equally vulnerable to these gentle giants in 2001 with the green planet. These beautiful ocean giants rising seas. formation of the Pacific Leather back that can weigh up to 700 pounds and can Conservation Area, which prohibits measure up to five feet in length are one of Over the past three years, Turtle Island deadly drift gillnet fishing between the largest sea turtles in the world, but they Restoration Network and nearly 160,000 peak turtle times along our coasts. are also among the most vulnerable. advocates like you helped stop an effort to strip away Endangered Species Act Protec - continued on page 7 Beautiful green sea turtles, like all sea turtles, tions from Hawai’ian green sea turtles. are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to their nesting behav- Now, federal wildlife policy-makers are ior. For instance, a staggering 96 percent of proposing to list eight distinct population all Hawai`i green sea turtles nest on one segments of green sea turtles as ‘threat- low lying sandbar that could be swamped ened’ and three as ‘endangered’ which by sea level rise. Another 79 percent of could result in better protections. PETER WINCH continued on page 2 ISSUE NO.2,2015 strp_layout_2015_2_final_strp layout_final 9/30/15 10:47 AM Page 2

Letter from the Director continued from page 1 A DECADEOF WORKTO PROTECT Nearly 7,000 of our members and MARINE MAMMALS COMESTO FRUITION activists signed on to our recent petition calling for greater protections for these T WAS MARCH 3, 2008 when the “take” of false killer whales that turtles’ historic nesting beaches and Iwe completed a formal “peti- resulted in another TRT to deal foraging grounds, and for designating tion” to compel the U.S. gov- with this deadly fishery. all existing and historic beaches as ernment to enforce a provision of “critical habitat” to secure the future of the Marine Mammal Protection By assuring that U.S. fisheries were this beloved species. Act (MMPA) that could have far- reducing the death of marine mam- reaching impacts for the hundreds mals, we were able to set a strong Turtle Island presented your petitions of thousands of animals that die “bar” to require foreign fisheries to along with our own scientific comments every year in the worldwide fleets meet. in September. Please give today at of fishing vessels that catch seafood SeaTurtles.org/Donate to support for the U.S. marketplace. In the ensuing years, we organized Turtle Island’s persistent advocacy for the public support of scores of envi- green sea turtles. “Section 101” of the MMPA ronmental organizations, congres- requires the U.S. to “ban the impor- sional support, hundreds of scientists tation of commercial fish or fish (including Dr. Sylvia Earle), and Collaboration products that have been caught with when all this was still not garnering commercial fishing technology which action, we filed a lawsuit in 2014. in the Eastern results in the incidental kill or incidental serious injury of marine mammals As part of a settlement of the law- Tropical Pacific in excess of United States standards.” suit, in August 2015, the U.S. government finally issued proposed Submitting our petition was not rules to protect the 650,000 dol- even the first step of a long and phins, whales and other marine arduous process to get the U.S. mammals that are caught annually by government to accept its responsi- the international seafood industry. bility to enforce this decades-old provision that until recently, was Now, nearly eight years after sub- being completely ignored. mitting our petition (with our col- leagues at the CBD), we are on the As early as 2002, Turtle Island and cusp of a breakthrough that may Center for Biological Diversity prevent the death and injury of HISSUMMER, Turtle Island’s (CBD) filed suit against the Fisheries hundreds of thousands of whales, Executive Director Todd Steiner Service for its failure to convene a dolphins and other marine mam- T Steiner and Central American Marine Mammal Take Reduction mals each year. Director Randall Arauz traveled to Team (TRT) for the Atlantic pelagic Ecuador and participated in CMAR to longline fishery. A TRT is a group Over the next couple of years, the advocate for a new, bi-national of scientists and other experts, who rules will be “phased in.” We will Protected Swimway between Cocos are required to create plans to continue to watchdog the govern- Island National Marine Park, Costa develop strategies to reduce the ment to ensure compliance and Rica and Galapagos Islands National injury and mortality of marine enforcement. Only persistence and Park, Ecuador as a model of coopera- mammals from U.S. fisheries. The vigilance will result in “on-the- tion to protect sea turtles and sharks. result of this lawsuit resulted in a water” implementation and com- CMAR, the Spanish acronym for the 2003 settlement agreement requir- pliance, and you can be assured that Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine ing the agency to convene a TRT by Turtle Island will be on the case! Corridor, is a regional initiative of gov- June 30, 2005, to address bycatch of ernments and civil society working for long-finned pilot whales, short- Sincerely, the conservation of Marine Protected finned pilot whales, and common Areas of Ecuador, Colombia, Panama dolphins in the Atlantic pelagic and Costa Rica. Signed into law by the long line fishery. Similarly, we also Environmental ministers of the four filed a successful lawsuit against the TODD STEINER, Executive Director nations in 2004, the initiative has Hawaiian longline fishery to reduce Turtle Island Restoration Network recently has been revived under the leadership of Colombia. 2 SeaTurtles.org strp_layout_2015_2_final_strp layout_final 9/30/15 10:47 AM Page 3

VICTORY! Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles Protected from Shrimp Trawls in Louisiana

longer on the books. Turtle Island worked to convince the state’s leaders that a change must be made, while the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program “red listed” shrimp to alert consumers that shrimp caught in Saving Mexico’s Louisiana state waters was contributing Loggerhead © RON WOOTEN to endangered sea turtle drownings. Due to this pressure, and over 6,000 petitions Sea Turtles N JULY 1, Louisiana Governor from Turtle Island members like you, Bobby Jindal signed House Bill H.B. 668 introduced by Representative O EXICO’SFISHERIES are 668 into law. Turtle Island wel- Dorothy Hill passed both the Louisiana comes this new law, which will allow House and Senate and was signed into Mkilling too many endan- Louisiana law enforcement officers to law by Governor Jindal. gered loggerhead sea inspect shrimp boats for Turtle Excluder turtles. Thanks to your support Devices (TEDs). These devices are In more good news for the Gulf’s sea Turtle Island and our allies won a placed on shrimp trawls and let sea tur- turtles, the recent five-year review major victory when the U.S. tles escape drowning by swimming out completed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Marine Fisheries Service of the net through a turtle-sized hatch, as Service and the National Marine (NMFS) announced that Mexico required by the U.S. Endangered Species Fisheries Service recommends stepping must strengthen its fishing regula- Act. Back in 1987, Louisiana had passed up TED compliance in both U.S., and tions to protect sea turtles or face a a law preventing the enforcement of Mexican shrimp fisheries, and we will potential U.S. embargo of seafood these turtle-saving devices. be working to ensure this happens! imports. Thanks to the support of Turtle Island Thanks to thousands of members and members like you, more sea turtles in This announcement comes after activists, and the work of our environ- the Gulf of Mexico will be able to we provided evidence that Mexico mental allies, this out-of-date law is no escape trawl nets and come up for air. was in violation of U.S. law for its sea turtle bycatch under the Mora - torium Protection Act. Under the Responsible Pier Initiative act, Mexican fishermen must fish under comparable rules as U.S. ACHYEAR, more than 250,000 piers the necessary resources to respond fishermen. Esea turtles are accidentally cap- effectively to injuries and strandings on tured, injured or killed by U.S. or around fishing piers. In the U.S. fishermen follow sea fishermen. Often fishermen will acci- turtle bycatch prevention meas- dently hook a turtle, then cut the fish- In June, Turtle Island helped piers in ures. But despite Mexico adopting ing line quickly leaving the hook Galveston, Texas implement the Initia - new rules, scientists estimate that intact, because they fear legal trouble if tive. We are educating the fishing com- Mexican halibut and shark fish- they report that they hooked a turtle. munity, and with the help of dozens of eries off Baja California Sur have volunteers, installing signs and collecting killed more than 2,000 endangered To reduce the staggering number of monofilament line to reduce entan- North Pacific Ocean loggerheads these incidents on piers and encourage glements. We hope to expand our each year. Thus, NMFS found that responsible behavior, Turtle Island part- Responsible Pier Initiative model in rules were not “comparable.” nered with Loggerhead Marinelife Galveston to the entire Gulf Coast. Center to adopt the Center’s Now, Turtle Island will push the “Responsible Pier Initiative,” which White House to authorize an promotes healthy pier environments embargo on seafood products for sea turtles and other marine life from Mexican fisheries in order to along the upper Texas coast by working safeguard sea turtles in Mexico. directly with fisher men and fishing RON WOOTEN piers. It also gives first-responders on SeaTurtles.org 3 strp_layout_2015_2_final_strp layout_final 9/30/15 10:47 AM Page 4

Photography For A Change

URTLE ISLAND Restoration TNetwork is proud to announce that we are teaming up with Photography for a Change, photographyforachange.com, to offer you high ROY KIMHI RON WOOTEN quality, fine art prints from top, emerg- ing photographers. For a limited time you can purchase these stunning prints that put you in an ocean state of mind, liven up your walls and help protect our world’s oceans and marine wildlife!

That’s right, Photography for a Change will donate 100 percent of the profits DANA BOVE LIE SIE to Turtle Island Restoration Network. Now, about the show! Dana Bove, Calif ornia—that showcase our oceans Here’s what happens when you buy a friend of Turtle Island and founder of beauty. beautiful print from Photography for a Photography for a Change, curated an Change: incredible online show especially for Please join us online for this exciting • You get a fine art print to enjoy you. Bove sought out talented photog- show, share the show with your friends, • You support a talented raphers from around the globe and and purchase a print to bring a little bit photographer’s career picked three—Ron Wooten based in of the blue world into your home or • You support Turtle Island the Gulf of Mexico, Roy Kimhi based office. Restoration Network in Costa Rica and Lee Sie based in Visit photographyforachange.com.

Drones and Subs Assist Scientists Sea Turtle T-Shirt at Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica

URTLE ISLAND’S recent high- Aerial Vehicles (drones) to patrol for Ttech expedition to Cocos Island, marine wildlife. Costa Rica deployed small sub- marines, inflatable boats, and Unmanned Randall Arauz, Alex Hearn, and Todd Steiner of Turtle Island directed the These 100% organic cotton expedition in collaboration with Costa t-shirts are made in the U.S.. Black Rica’s National System of Protected with white tribal turtle design. Areas and the Cocos Island Marine Conservation Area, and with the com- Available in Men’s & Women’s panies Alucia Productions II, Precision sizes: S, M, L & XL Integrated and Aeroval, and with sup- (women’s sizes run small). port from the Dalio Ocean Initiative. $25 (please add $3 for shipping): Order online on our secure Researchers used inflatable boats to tag server at SeaTurtles.org/Shop, sharks, and subs to put listening stations call us during business hours at on an undersea mount where the sta- 1-800-859-7283 tions can track migrations of ‘tagged’ or send a check to: marine wildlife. Drones searched for Turtle Island, PO Box 370 wildlife and illegal fishers from the sky. Forest Knolls, CA 94933

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Crowdsourcing with Satellite Images to Find Illegal Fishing Boats

URTLE ISLAND Restora - hundreds or thousands of baited Ttion Network is proud to hooks and then indiscriminately announce a new pilot catching, harming or killing program to find illegal fishing whatever bites the baited hooks. vessels within the Marine Air-breathing endangered sea Protected Area surrounding turtles that get caught will often Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Turtle drown as they are unable to Island teamed up with Digital come up for air, while sharks Globe’s crowdsourcing platform, that must swim to force water in Tomnod. com, to create one of their gills also perish when the first crowdsourced, digital caught. patrols of the marine hot-spot using satellite imagery. TOMNOD.COM Turtle Island and Tomnod teamed A view of Cocos Island, Costa Rica up to share satellite images of Cocos Island is an important stop - from DigitalGlobe’s satellites Cocos Island with the world and find over for large marine wildlife, like illegal fishing boats. Large satellite hammerhead sharks, on their oceanic Yet, sadly this blue gem is under attack images were uploaded on Tomnod.com migrations. The island is also home to by illegal longline fishing vessels that and overlaid with a grid, more than green and hawksbill sea turtles. enter into the marine protected zone 10,000 users from around the world Jacques-Yves Cousteau dived at the that extends around the Island, in and Turtle Island members digitally Island and called it “the most beautiful search of tuna and sharks. Longline patrolled for illegal vessels online. The island in the world.” fishing is a deadly type of fishing that campaign had the highest participation consists of setting a main line with rate of any Tomnod campaign to date.

American Airlines, DHL and UPS Announce They Will No Longer Ship Shark Fins

N EARLY APRIL, American Airlines shark fin shipments on their planes. Iannounced via Twitter that they will no longer ship shark fins on Using evidence gathered by Turtle any of their flights, including US Island and PRETOMA that showed Airways flights. DHL and UPS also had involvement in the shark fin trade, partner organiza- The announcement comes after Turtle tions, involved citizens and our mem- Island and our Costa Rican sister bers put pressure on ground carriers to organization PRETOMA found evi- re-evaluate their shipping policies. dence that American Airlines planes Now, both DHL and UPS have changed were exporting scalloped hammerhead their policies and no longer fly shark fins. shark fins from Costa Rica on planes NOAA destined for Hong Kong by way of Unfortunately, FedEx and other airlines stops on U.S. soil. This is illegal under have refused to change course and still An estimated 73 million sharks are the U.S. Endangered Species Act. fly fins. killed annually, mainly for their fins

With this evidence in hand, Turtle Island Though banned in many parts of the million sharks are killed annually, mainly began negotiations with American world, global trade of shark is still valued for their fins. Please join us and take Airlines to convince the carrier to ban at over $1 billion and an estimated 73 action at seaturtles.org/nofinsonboard.

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Shop at the Sea Turtle Store Leave a Legacy for the Sea Turtles

Silver “I Love HROUGH A BEQUEST to Sea Turtles” TTurtle Island Restora tion Charm Bracelet Network in your will and other estate plans, you can leave a legacy for sea turtles, sharks, “I Love Sea Turtles” silver salmon and the oceans. adjustable charm bracelet with sea turtle charms and glass beads. Visit SeaTurtles.org/BequestGift Price: $34.00 (includes shipping) or contact us at info@Sea Turtles. Order online on our secure org or 1-800-859-7283 for infor- server at SeaTurtles.org/Shop. mation on including a bequest to Turtle Island in your will, adding Call us at 1-800-859-7283 a simple codicil to your existing to place your order. will, and other ways to give Send a check to: through your estate. Any infor- Turtle Island, PO Box 370 mation discussed is confidential. Forest Knolls CA 94933. A professional financial advisor may be able to help you identify additional ways to provide you Donor Spotlight: 7th Grader Jacob with tax benefits, as well as help Cohen Raises Funds for Turtle Island protect the earth’s oceans and wildlife. Thank you for consider- ing this important way to give. NE OF OUR YOUNGEST mem- Jacob selected Turtle Island because of Obers, Jacob Cohen, successfully our dedication to action. “Not only is raised over $1,000 to support Turtle Island trying to solve problems Turtle Island’s ocean and marine ourselves, but they are also trying to Donate your Vehicle wildlife conservation as part of his 7th inspire other people to help,” he said. grade Tzedakah project focused around to Turtle Island the Jewish value of righteous giving at Thank you, Jacob for your generosity to the Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day marine animals! We welcome creative UPPORT SEA TURTLE and School in Foster City, California. ideas for support from our members— Socean conservation by let us know at [email protected]. donating your vehicle to Turtle Island, no matter where you are in the U.S. Your contribution may be tax deductible. By donating your car, truck or boat, you will be making a vital contribution to Turtle Island Restoration Network, which receives 70-80% of the net proceeds, depending on the sale value of the vehicle. The process is simple. Just contact Donate For Charity at www.donateforcharity.com or call 866.392.4483 and they will arrange to pick up your vehicle. They accept most cars, trucks, vans, fleet vehicles, trailers, boats and RVs that are 15 years or newer from any location in all 50 states.

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Turtle Island Honors Meet the Interns

Gulf Director Carole Allen URTLE ISLAND RESTORATION NETWORK is proud to help train the next generation of environmentalists TURTLE ISLAND RESTORATION T through our internship program. Get to know our NETWORK is proud to honor interns: Carole Allen, our Gulf Office Director and board member. Since WILL JONES, Media and Communications Intern— the 1980s, Carole has turned her B.A., Philosophy, B.A., Environmental Sustainability, passion for sea turtles into effective Miami University campaigns to save the critically AIMEE POLEKOFF, Education and Outreach Intern endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles Intern—B.A. Geoscience, Franklin & Marshall College of the Gulf of Mexico. YANI POHL, Fundraising and Habitat Restoration “In the 1980s, I founded an all-volunteer group called Help Intern—B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Science, Endangered Animals—Ridley Turtles (HEART) that let school- UC Santa Cruz children help pay for turtle food for sea turtles in the Texas MICHAEL RHODES, Smolt Monitoring Intern— ‘turtle house.’ The federal government was raising hatchlings B.S. Environmental Studies, University of Pittsburgh to regenerate the species from near-extinction, but the fund- ing for this project was in jeopardy so, I knew I had to take action,” says Carole. “Later, the fight to save these turtles from being killed in shrimp nets took over my life.”

In 2002, after working together on a successful effort to gain a shrimping closure along Texas nesting beaches, HEART merged with Turtle Island. Carole has been an invited Congressional speaker, her work has been featured in Edward Humes book, “Eco Barons” and Oprah Magazine, and she has received numerous awards. Today, Turtle Island honors Carole for her tireless work for protections that have saved thousands of sea turtles each year. Carole, congratulations and thank you!

Left to Right: Michael Rhodes, Yani Pohl, and Aimee Polekoff. Not Pictured: Will Jones. Leatherback Sea Turtle Visits Learn more about our internship program and please share with folks looking for opportunities to help us save Bay Area continued from page 1 the oceans at SeaTurtles.org/Intern. This designation has drastically reduced the number of leatherback deaths in the fishery. The sighting of this leatherback helps demon- strate the need for continued and increased protections. Turtle Island Join Turtle Island’s helped draw attention to this amazing species by getting our State Assemblymember to introduce legislation that made the leatherback Monthly Giving Program the official marine reptile of California, celebrated on Oct. 15th as Pacific Leatherback Conservation Day. ELP US TAKE SWIFT, sustained and innovative action Hby participating in our Monthly Giving Program. By making a monthly recurring donation to Turtle Island Restora tion Network you can make a huge impact with a small monthly donation! Choose a species or program to support, or let us use your tax-deductible contribution where it is needed most. Donate just $5 a month or more and we will thank you with a Turtle Island baseball cap made from 100% organic cotton. You can cancel or change the amount of your donation any- time. Use the enclosed envelope to join, or go online to PETER WINCH SeaTurtles.org/Monthly. SeaTurtles.org 7 strp_layout_2015_2_final_strp layout_final 9/30/15 10:47 AM Page 8

Turtle Island Restoration Network P.O. Box 370 Forest Knolls, CA 94933

About the Sea Turtle Restoration Project A Conservation Initiative of Turtle Island Restoration Network Viva la Tortuga! Issue No. 2, 2015 HE SEA TURTLE RESTORATION PROJECT was founded more than 25 Newsletter of Turtle Island Restoration Network Tyears ago, and is a conservation initiative of Turtle Island, a leading advocate for the world’s oceans and marine wildlife. Our work is based on science, fueled by people who care, and effective at cat- alyzing long-lasting positive change that protects the likes of green sea turtles and steelhead trout. Our mission is to mobilize people in local communities around the world to protect marine wildlife and the oceans and inland watersheds that sustain them. We accomplish our mission through grassroots empowerment, consumer action, strategic litigation hands-on restoration, environmental education, and Contact Us: by promoting sustainable local, national and international marine policies. CALIFORNIA HEADQUARTERS Learn more at SeaTurtles.org. P.O. Box 370, Forest Knolls, CA 94933 phone 415-663-8590 or 800-859-7283 in this issue: BOARDOF DIRECTORS fax 415-663-9534 e-mail [email protected] Donna Howe (Chair), website www.SeaTurtles.org Save Green Sea Turtles Carole Allen, Barb Andrews, LATIN AMERICA OFFICE Using Technology to Locate Randall Arauz, Julie Owen Randall Arauz (Costa Rica) Illegal Fishing Boats Hanft, Rick Misuraca, phone 011-506-2241-5227 Wallace J. Nichols, Debbie Sivas, email [email protected] Shutting Down Shark Finning Jim Spotila, Todd Steiner GULFOF MEXICO OFFICE Rescuing Texas Turtles on Piers (Executive Director). 2228 Broadway, Galveston, Texas 77550 phone 409-795-8426 email [email protected] D ESIGN : DANIELA S KLAN | HUMMINGBIRD D ESIGN S TUDIO