Species of Sea Turtles in U.S. Waters Protected Under the ESA Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas) Hawksbill Sea Turtle(eretmochelys imbricata) Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle(Lepodochelys kempii) Leatherback Sea TurtleDermochelys coriacea) Loggerhead Sea Turtle(Caretta caretta) Olive Ridley Sea Turtle(Lepodochelys olivacea) PROTECTION OF SEA TURTLES Through interagency coordination under Section 7 of the ESA, sea turtles are protected by ensuring that Federal action will not jeopardize the continued existence of the species. Successful consultations have been conducted with the Minerals Management Service for oil and gas activities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for dredging activities, the U.S. Navy for explosives testing, the Environmental Protection Agency for the designation of dredged material disposal sites, and many other Federal agencies for activities ranging from nuclear power plant construction to scientific research. One of the most important ways NMFS acts to protect sea turtles is through requiring trawl fishermen to use Turtle Excluder Devices while fishing. The Turtle Excluder Device or TED is a grid of bars with an opening either at the top or the bottom. The grid is fitted into the neck of a shrimp trawl. Small animals like shrimp slip through the bars and are caught in the bag end of the trawl. Large animals such as turtles and sharks, when caught at the mouth of the trawl, strike the grid bars and are ejected through the opening. NMFS has been able to show that TEDs are effective at excluding up to 97% of sea turtles with minimal loss of shrimp. This has enabled NMFS to avoid implementing more restrictive regulations on the shrimp industry. The National Marine Fisheries Service works daily to balance the Nation's need for seafood resources and the mandate to recover protected marine species such as sea turtles. The TED-use requirements allow shrimpers to continue fishing in public trust waters and simultaneously to protect sea turtles. This is an example of balancing commercial needs with the biological need of protected resources. The development and implementation of the consideration to industry concerns included their participation in developing the final regulations. Industry representatives also participate in review of new designs for TEDs, some of which are submitted by the shrimpers themselves. NMFS ensured that the TED requirements were phased in gradually, and has provided numerous workshops and programs to work with the industry regarding TEDs. With respect to foreign shrimp fisheries, NMFS and the State Department have been working closely with Mexico and other shrimp supplying nations in Latin America to help them develop comparable TED programs. These programs are now in place in about a dozen countries in the wider Caribbean area. In addition, NMFS and the State Department are negotiating an International Sea Turtle Convention to further promote TED programs in other countries. Additional information on sea turtles and other marine species protected under the ESA is available on the Internet at: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/tmintyr/prot_res.html or by writing to: NOAA Public Affairs/Outreach Unit 1305 East-West Highway, Station 1W204 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

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