Victory! New Protections for Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles by Oceana

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced new protections for Pacific leatherback sea turtles by way of a 41,914 square mile safe haven off the coast of Washington, Oregon and California and we couldn’t be happier! Oceana has been working towards these protections since 2007.

The newly protected habitat will help ensure the survival and recovery of the endangered leatherback. It encompasses areas where the sea turtles feed on jellyfish after swimming 6,000 miles across the ocean from nests in Indonesia (it’s the longest known migration of any reptile)!

Along their journey they dodge a number of threats like mile-long drift gillnets and longline gear that are used to catch swordfish, sharks and tunas, and plastic bags that they often mistake for their favorite food (jellyfish). Those that complete the migration and make it to the shores of the American Pacific clearly need all the protections they can get.

Leatherbacks are the largest of all sea turtles and can grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. But don’t let their size fool you. They’re just as vulnerable as any other species. In fact, their numbers have declined more than 95 percent since the 1980’s and as few as 2,300 adult female western Pacific leatherbacks remain.

While we are happy to announce this latest victory for the oceans, we know there is still a lot of work to be done to protect leatherbacks and other endangered species like them. We’ll continue the fight for them, but we need your help. If you haven’t already, join us at Oceana.org to make your voice heard. And remember, the little things count too. Bring your recyclable bags to the grocery store and help keep those pesky plastic ones out of the ocean! These guys need all the help we can offer.

And speaking of the American Pacific, a bill passed the Oregon senate last week that takes us one step closer to creating a network of marine reserves and protected areas off the Oregon coast – some of these areas were featured in the GQ/Nautica spread featuring Josh Lucas. We’ll keep you posted!