New PSA campaign asks children to write to President Obama and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

Television star, author, and fashion designer Lauren Conrad stars alongside newly-hatched sea turtles in a PSA campaign released today by ocean conservation non-profit Oceana. Conrad is joining Oceana’s campaign, launched last week, which urges the U.S. government to take action to protect endangered sea turtles in its southeast shrimp trawl fishery.

Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, featured in the PSAs, are the smallest and most endangered species of sea turtle. Oceana and Lauren Conrad are working to address the biggest threat to their survival at sea – incidental capture in fishing gear. This unintended capture, known as bycatch, could kill an estimated 50,000 endangered and threatened sea turtles every year. All consequently in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. That’s with Kemp’s constituting 82 percent of those killed.

Oceana is seeking a requirement for all shrimp trawlers in the southeast shrimp trawl fishery. All to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs).  These are specialized metal grates inserted in trawl nets that allow captured sea turtles to escape.

“I feel so lucky that I had a chance to witness the hatching of these sea turtles,” Lauren Conrad said. “These incredible animals deserve our protection and respect. So it’s encouraging to know that a simple policy change could save thousands of them every year. I encourage everyone to visit Oceana.org/SaveSeaTurtles and take action today.”

In addition, Oceana is encouraging the next generation of sea turtle lovers to write to President Obama and Secretary Penny Pritzker. We are also telling them why we love sea turtles and why they should be protected. Oceana and One More Generation will collect the letters. Then we will also present them to the U.S. government on World Sea Turtle Day, June 16, 2016.

The PSAs were shot at the Rancho Nuevo Sea Turtle Sanctuary in Tamaulipas, Mexico. It was during a mass hatching in June 2015. There, Oceana worked with Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) to patrol beaches for nesting turtles. As well as to release the hatchlings into the Gulf of Mexico. Rancho Nuevo is the nesting site for 95 percent of the world’s Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, which arrive in great numbers in the spring and early summer.

In addition and according to CONANP, approximately 97,000 Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles emerged from more than 2,000 nests. All which were also monitored by CONANP during their incubation. So CONANP’s work to protect this important Kemp’s Ridley nesting site is part of a collaborative bi-national program. All as a result between Mexico and the U.S.  Finally, with the Gladys Porter Zoo administering the U.S. field portion.

In conclusion, the PSAs and online resources are available at http://www.Oceana.org/SaveSeaTurtles. Also, the PSAs will air in print and on national television beginning today.

Additional Resources:

CONANP release about Kemp’s Hatchlings in 2015 (en Espanol):http://www.conanp.gob.mx/difusion/comunicado.php?id_subcontenido=883

Info on Kemp’s from the National Marine Fisheries Service: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/kempsridley.htm

Gladys Porter Zoo info on Kemps Conservation and program with Mexico: http://gpz.org/kemps-ridley-turtle-project/

Letter writing campaign:

More information at usa.oceana.org/turtles. Deadline for letters is May 23, 2016 to either of the addresses listed below. Letters may also be scanned and emailed:

Oceana

Attn:  Save Sea Turtles

1350 Connecticut Ave. NW 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20036

lsnyder@oceana.org

One More Generation

Attn:  Save Sea Turtles

P.O. Box 143627

Fayetteville GA 30214

info@onemoregeneration.org