Report | May 27, 2010

Sea turtles on the hook

There are eight species of sea turtle, five of which can be found in the North Atlantic; and, of these, two are regularly caught as accidental catches by longliner fleets: the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and, above all, the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Less frequently, the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Kemp’s Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) are also caught.

Oceana is carrying out a conservation project at both ends of the North Atlantic to establish the true scope of accidental turtle catches by longliners, their impact on the turtle population and what alternatives are available to reduce this impact.