Global News - October 2007

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New fishing rules 'threaten turtles'

Mon 29 October 2007 17:00 UK — North America,Marine Wildlife

New fishing rules agreed recently in the US could put the survival of thousands of rare sea turtles at risk, environmental groups have warned.

Last week (October 25th), the New England Fishery Management Council voted to remove seasonal restrictions on scallop dredging in an area off the New Jersey coast known as the Elephant Trunk Access Area.

Previously, scallop boats could not enter the area during September and October as sea turtles commonly visited the sector during these months.

Wildlife experts are concerned that the nets used to dredge for scallops in the area could also catch and kill the rare loggerhead turtles.

They said that the council's plan to rely on grids of chain, designed to prevent turtles entering the dredging areas, was not sufficient.

A recent report from the US showed that loggerhead turtles were in more danger from small-scale fishing boats than from larger commercial operations.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), loggerhead turtles are currently endangered.

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