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| Press Release |
Date: June 29, 2007
USCG Contact: Petty Officer James Judge |
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Coast Guard, NOAA, FWC to Release 120 Sea Turtles
MIAMI - Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce is scheduled to assist the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission by using one of the station's small boats in releasing 96 of the 120 Loggerhead sea turtles into the Atlantic Ocean off shore from Fort Pierce Monday. The remainder of the turtles will be released from shore into the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian Inlet, Fla. These turtles were utilized this year by NOAA Fisheries scientists during routine annual research conducted on the effectiveness of turtle excluder devices (TEDs). This year's study ran from June 16 through June 28. A TED is a special component of a shrimp trawl that enables sea turtles to escape from shrimpers' nets while minimizing the loss of shrimp. TEDs became mandatory in 1989, but prior to their use thousands of sea turtles drowned each year in shrimp trawls. This is not the first time the Coast Guard and the National Marine Fisheries Service have worked together to help sea turtles; in fact, they have an ongoing relationship. "Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce has an exceptional working relationship with NOAA and we're happy to be able to assist them in any way possible espescially when it comes to protecting an endangered species," said Chief Warrant Officer Todd Kagarise, the commanding officer of Station Fort Pierce. ###
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