Sea Turtle Restoration Project
Encyclopedia
The Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP), founded in 1989, is a project of Turtle Island Restoration Network
(TIRN), a United States
501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization with a goal of protecting endangered sea turtles from human-caused threats at nesting beaches and in the ocean.
STRP states its mission as being:
STRP engages in activities such as educating the public about sea turtles, urging people to get involved with sea turtle protection, advocating for laws and regulations that protect sea turtles from accidentally getting caught in commercial fishing operations, filing lawsuits when the United States Endangered Species Act
or other conservation laws are violated, and disseminating information about sea turtles to elected officials, regulatory agencies, members of the media and the public. STRP currently has offices in the United States, Central America
and the Western Pacific.
, launched STRP to help strengthen sea turtle protection policies at the local and international level. Steiner had traveled to Nicaragua
to assist local communities in protecting their nesting populations of sea turtles. When he returned to the United States Steiner learned that the sea turtles that were protected in Nicaragua were being killed in Mexico to supply shells for the Japan
ese luxury apparel market. The sea turtle is a highly migratory species that crosses national boundaries as part of its natural life cycle.
STRP joined international efforts to end the trade in endangered sea turtles by organizing protests at the Mexican and Japanese consulates in the United States and generating thousands of letters and phone calls of protest. Mexico banned the killing of sea turtles and Japan ended its illegal trade in endangered sea turtle parts for luxury items.
Since 1989, STRP has attempted to address other threats facing sea turtles at nesting beaches and in the ocean where sea turtles spend most of their time. This has included protecting critical nesting habitat in Central America, seeking to establish a marine reserve for the Kemp's Ridley
sea turtle in Texas
, developing community-based projects to protect local sea turtle populations in the Western Pacific, preventing the capture of sea turtles by industrial fishing operations worldwide, and protecting critical foraging habitat for the near extinct Pacific leatherback turtle off the west coast of the United States.
In 1999 STRP broke off from its parent organization Earth Island Institute
and was re-incorporated as the Turtle Island Restoration Network
(TIRN). That same year STRP staff members marched with people dressed in sea turtle costumes at the World Trade Organization
(WTO) meetings in Seattle to protest the conflict of trade rules with protecting endangered species. In September 2008 the movie titled Battle in Seattle
was released that dramatizes the events surrounding the 1999 WTO protests.
program, US Pacific sea turtle campaign, Central America program and Western Pacific program. In addition STRP has a public health campaign - Got Mercury?
- that addresses the public health issue of mercury
in seafood.
, shark
, and tuna
, were cited as causing the most adult leatherback mortality. In response, STRP convened the International Leatherback Survival Conference in April 2002. The outcome was a call by leading sea turtle and marine scientists for a moratorium
on Pacific longlining and drift gillnetting. In the next few years STRP organized over 1,000 scientists from 97 countries and 280 NGOs to sign a petition to the United Nations
seeking a moratorium on high seas industrial longline fishing to prevent the extinction of the Pacific leatherback sea turtle. In 2004 the documentary Last Journey for the Leatherback? was released, which depicts the plight of the Pacific leatherback sea turtle.
/Oregon
drift gillnet fishery to protect endangered sea turtles and other marine species. In 2006 STRP and a coalition of environmental organizations prevented efforts by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC)
to reopen the seasonal closure to drift gillnet fishing. STRP is currently working to prevent the development of a pelagic longline fishery within the California Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) where it has been banned for 30 years to protect various marine species.
nets and the development of a Kemp's Ridley marine reserve that is off limits to commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2008 a record-breaking season occurred with 148 Kemp's Ridley nests found along the Texas coast, which was more than double the figure found in 2005.
which is based in Costa Rica
, STRP is focused on decreasing the threats to sea turtles in Central America that include development of nesting sites, killing of breeding females, illegal poaching of eggs, and the incidental capture of sea turtles by industrial fishing fleets.
. STRP partners with coastal communities to protect and restore the declining leatherback turtle population and habitat by helping to establish conservation deeds in important nesting beaches and marine waters.
program to educate the public about mercury
levels in seafood and to take action to reduce the public's exposure to methylmercury
in seafood. Got Mercury? has tested mercury levels in fish found in sushi
restaurants and found high levels of mercury in tuna
Volunteers monitor restaurants and supermarkets to make sure they are in compliance with California's Proposition 65 law. Proposition 65 requires the posting of mercury in seafood consumer advisory warnings by seafood purveyors. Got Mercury? developed a free online mercury in seafood calculator that allows individuals to use the Environmental Protection Agency
’s calculations to estimate average mercury exposure levels by fish type and amount relative to a person's weight.
Turtle Island Restoration Network
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a United States 501 non-profit organization founded in 1989 whose mission is:To take swift and decisive action to protect and restore marine species and their habitats and to inspire people in communities all over the world to join us as active and vocal marine...
(TIRN), a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization with a goal of protecting endangered sea turtles from human-caused threats at nesting beaches and in the ocean.
STRP states its mission as being:
To protect endangered sea turtleSea turtleSea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s in ways that make cultural and economic sense to the communities that share the beaches and waters with these gentle creatures.
STRP engages in activities such as educating the public about sea turtles, urging people to get involved with sea turtle protection, advocating for laws and regulations that protect sea turtles from accidentally getting caught in commercial fishing operations, filing lawsuits when the United States Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
or other conservation laws are violated, and disseminating information about sea turtles to elected officials, regulatory agencies, members of the media and the public. STRP currently has offices in the United States, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and the Western Pacific.
History
Todd Steiner, a herpetologist and then Director of the Save the Dolphin Project, an affiliate organization of the Earth Island InstituteEarth Island Institute
The Earth Island Institute was founded in 1982 by environmentalist David Brower. It organizes and encourages activism around environmental issues and provides public education. Funding comes from individual members and supporting organizations...
, launched STRP to help strengthen sea turtle protection policies at the local and international level. Steiner had traveled to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
to assist local communities in protecting their nesting populations of sea turtles. When he returned to the United States Steiner learned that the sea turtles that were protected in Nicaragua were being killed in Mexico to supply shells for the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese luxury apparel market. The sea turtle is a highly migratory species that crosses national boundaries as part of its natural life cycle.
STRP joined international efforts to end the trade in endangered sea turtles by organizing protests at the Mexican and Japanese consulates in the United States and generating thousands of letters and phone calls of protest. Mexico banned the killing of sea turtles and Japan ended its illegal trade in endangered sea turtle parts for luxury items.
Since 1989, STRP has attempted to address other threats facing sea turtles at nesting beaches and in the ocean where sea turtles spend most of their time. This has included protecting critical nesting habitat in Central America, seeking to establish a marine reserve for the Kemp's Ridley
Kemp's Ridley
Kemp's ridley sea turtle , or Atlantic ridley sea turtle is the rarest sea turtle and is critically endangered. It is one of two living species in the genus Lepidochelys Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), or Atlantic ridley sea turtle is the rarest sea turtle and is critically...
sea turtle in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, developing community-based projects to protect local sea turtle populations in the Western Pacific, preventing the capture of sea turtles by industrial fishing operations worldwide, and protecting critical foraging habitat for the near extinct Pacific leatherback turtle off the west coast of the United States.
In 1999 STRP broke off from its parent organization Earth Island Institute
Earth Island Institute
The Earth Island Institute was founded in 1982 by environmentalist David Brower. It organizes and encourages activism around environmental issues and provides public education. Funding comes from individual members and supporting organizations...
and was re-incorporated as the Turtle Island Restoration Network
Turtle Island Restoration Network
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a United States 501 non-profit organization founded in 1989 whose mission is:To take swift and decisive action to protect and restore marine species and their habitats and to inspire people in communities all over the world to join us as active and vocal marine...
(TIRN). That same year STRP staff members marched with people dressed in sea turtle costumes at the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO) meetings in Seattle to protest the conflict of trade rules with protecting endangered species. In September 2008 the movie titled Battle in Seattle
Battle in Seattle
Battle in Seattle is a 2007 film and the directorial debut of actor Stuart Townsend. It is based on the protest activity at the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999...
was released that dramatizes the events surrounding the 1999 WTO protests.
Programs
STRP currently has five programs that focus on protecting sea turtles and the marine environment. These include the Save the Leatherback program, Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
program, US Pacific sea turtle campaign, Central America program and Western Pacific program. In addition STRP has a public health campaign - Got Mercury?
Got Mercury?
Got Mercury? is a public awareness campaign about mercury levels in seafood. It is sponsored by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project and its parent organization, the Turtle Island Restoration Network...
- that addresses the public health issue of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
in seafood.
Save the Leatherback Program
STRP began the Save the Leatherback Program in 2000 when a scientific article published in Nature magazine stated that the Pacific leatherback sea turtle could become extinct within 10–30 years if its adult mortality was not drastically reduced. Industrialized fishing practices, particularly longlining and drift gillnetting, used to catch swordfishSwordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
, shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
, and tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
, were cited as causing the most adult leatherback mortality. In response, STRP convened the International Leatherback Survival Conference in April 2002. The outcome was a call by leading sea turtle and marine scientists for a moratorium
Moratorium (law)
A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law. In a legal context, it may refer to the temporary suspension of a law to allow a legal challenge to be carried out....
on Pacific longlining and drift gillnetting. In the next few years STRP organized over 1,000 scientists from 97 countries and 280 NGOs to sign a petition to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
seeking a moratorium on high seas industrial longline fishing to prevent the extinction of the Pacific leatherback sea turtle. In 2004 the documentary Last Journey for the Leatherback? was released, which depicts the plight of the Pacific leatherback sea turtle.
US Pacific sea turtle program
STRP's American Pacific sea turtle campaign began in 2001 when their legal action forced a seasonal closure of the CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
/Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
drift gillnet fishery to protect endangered sea turtles and other marine species. In 2006 STRP and a coalition of environmental organizations prevented efforts by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC)
U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils
The eight U.S. regional fishery management councils are the primary forums for developing conservation and management measures for U.S. marine fisheries. The regional councils recommend management measures for fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone ; which are subject to approval and implemented...
to reopen the seasonal closure to drift gillnet fishing. STRP is currently working to prevent the development of a pelagic longline fishery within the California Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
(EEZ) where it has been banned for 30 years to protect various marine species.
Gulf of Mexico program
In August 2002 STRP merged with the Texas-based Help Endangered Animals – Ridley Turtles (HEART) organization and opened its Gulf of Mexico office. The focus of this program is protecting the habitat of the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle through the enforcement of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDS) in shrimpShrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
nets and the development of a Kemp's Ridley marine reserve that is off limits to commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2008 a record-breaking season occurred with 148 Kemp's Ridley nests found along the Texas coast, which was more than double the figure found in 2005.
Central America program
Since 1989, STRP has been working directly in Central America with coastal communities in an effort to protect sea turtles. Along with its sister organization PRETOMAPRETOMA
PRETOMA is a Costa Rican non-profit NGO that was founded in 1997.The group consists of biologists, naturalists, conservationists, and volunteers who are dedicated to protecting and conserving sea turtles in their natural marine habitats, while also promoting sustainable fishery policies...
which is based in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, STRP is focused on decreasing the threats to sea turtles in Central America that include development of nesting sites, killing of breeding females, illegal poaching of eggs, and the incidental capture of sea turtles by industrial fishing fleets.
Western Pacific program
STRP's Western Pacific program began in 2006 and is based on the island of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. STRP partners with coastal communities to protect and restore the declining leatherback turtle population and habitat by helping to establish conservation deeds in important nesting beaches and marine waters.
Got Mercury?
In 2002 STRP began its Got Mercury?Got Mercury?
Got Mercury? is a public awareness campaign about mercury levels in seafood. It is sponsored by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project and its parent organization, the Turtle Island Restoration Network...
program to educate the public about mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
levels in seafood and to take action to reduce the public's exposure to methylmercury
Methylmercury
Methylmercury is an organometallic cation with the formula . It is a bioaccumulative environmental toxicant.-Structure:...
in seafood. Got Mercury? has tested mercury levels in fish found in sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
restaurants and found high levels of mercury in tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
Volunteers monitor restaurants and supermarkets to make sure they are in compliance with California's Proposition 65 law. Proposition 65 requires the posting of mercury in seafood consumer advisory warnings by seafood purveyors. Got Mercury? developed a free online mercury in seafood calculator that allows individuals to use the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
’s calculations to estimate average mercury exposure levels by fish type and amount relative to a person's weight.