Loggerhead Sea Turtles Face New Endangered Status

U.S. Loggerhead Sea Turtles Decision Brought Both Progress and Disappointment

The United States made a major decision on loggerhead sea turtle protections in September 2011.

However, conservationists viewed the outcome as bittersweet.

Federal officials increased protections for loggerhead turtles in the North Pacific Ocean by changing their status from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

At the same time, the government kept the Northwest Atlantic population classified as threatened.

That decision disappointed conservation groups that had pushed for stronger protections for both populations.

U.S. Divides Loggerheads Into Nine Populations

Before the 2011 decision, loggerhead sea turtles were generally listed as threatened throughout their U.S. range.

NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changed that approach.

Instead, federal officials recognized nine distinct population segments, or DPSs, around the world.

They listed five populations as endangered and four as threatened.

The North Pacific population received endangered status.

However, the Northwest Atlantic population remained threatened.

The final rule took effect on October 24, 2011.

Why North Pacific Loggerhead Sea Turtles Needed More Protection

North Pacific loggerheads face an extraordinary migration.

Many hatch on beaches in Japan. Then, they travel thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean.

Juvenile turtles often forage near Mexico and the eastern Pacific before eventually returning toward their nesting areas.

Unfortunately, they face serious dangers throughout that journey.

Fishing gear can accidentally hook or entangle turtles. Marine debris creates another threat. Vessel strikes can injure or kill them.

In addition, coastal development can damage important nesting habitat.

Therefore, endangered status gave the North Pacific population stronger federal recognition and conservation attention.

Oceana Called the Decision Bittersweet

Oceana supported the stronger protection for North Pacific loggerheads.

However, the organization criticized the government for not upgrading the Northwest Atlantic population to endangered status.

The conservation group argued that federal scientific findings showed serious risks facing both populations.

Oceana also criticized delays in establishing critical habitat.

Critical habitat can protect areas that endangered and threatened species need for feeding, nesting, migration and recovery.

Therefore, conservationists wanted federal officials to move beyond listing decisions and protect the places loggerheads actually depend upon.

Atlantic Loggerheads Still Face Major Threats

The Northwest Atlantic population includes loggerheads that nest along much of the southeastern United States.

Florida supports particularly important nesting areas.

Loggerheads also nest in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and along portions of the Gulf Coast.

Today, NOAA estimates that loggerheads produce more than 100,000 nests annually in the United States.

Yet the turtles still face substantial threats.

Commercial fishing remains one concern. Coastal development can also eliminate or degrade nesting beaches.

Meanwhile, beachfront lighting can confuse newly hatched turtles.

Instead of crawling toward the ocean, hatchlings may move toward artificial lights from homes, hotels, roads and businesses.

Plastic pollution, marine debris and vessel strikes create additional risks.

Critical Habitat Eventually Followed

The 2011 rule did not immediately establish critical habitat for U.S. loggerhead populations.

That became one of the major criticisms surrounding the decision.

However, federal protections continued developing.

In 2014, the government designated critical habitat for the Northwest Atlantic population of loggerhead sea turtles.

Those protections covered important nesting beaches and marine areas used by the turtles.

Therefore, the 2011 decision became part of a much longer conservation process rather than the final word.

Loggerheads Remain Protected Today

More than a decade later, the basic framework created in 2011 remains.

Loggerhead sea turtles are still divided into nine distinct population segments under the Endangered Species Act.

Five remain listed as endangered.

Four remain listed as threatened.

The North Pacific population continues to carry endangered status.

Meanwhile, the Northwest Atlantic population remains threatened.

Federal agencies also continue using measures such as turtle excluder devices in certain fishing operations, fishing restrictions and habitat protections to reduce turtle deaths.

Why Loggerhead Protection Matters

Loggerhead sea turtles can live for decades.

However, they mature slowly.

That makes population recovery difficult.

A turtle may survive many years before reproducing. Therefore, losing adult females or older juveniles can have long-term consequences for an entire population.

Sea turtles also connect ecosystems across enormous distances.

They move between beaches, coastal waters and open oceans.

Protecting loggerheads consequently requires more than protecting one nesting beach.

It requires protecting migration routes, feeding areas and marine habitat as well.

The Green Living Guy Take

The 2011 loggerhead decision showed both the power and limitations of environmental protection.

North Pacific loggerheads gained stronger endangered-species protections. That represented real progress.

However, conservationists believed the government missed an opportunity to provide the same level of protection to Northwest Atlantic turtles.

The larger lesson still matters today.

Protecting wildlife cannot stop with changing a label from threatened to endangered.

Governments must protect habitat. Fisheries must reduce accidental turtle deaths. Coastal communities must control harmful lighting. Moreover, society must continue reducing plastic and other pollution entering our oceans.

Loggerhead sea turtles have crossed Earth’s oceans for millions of years.

Helping them continue that journey should remain a priority.