Dead Turtle

[nickzilla720]

Ditto, I cant tell you how many times (especially summer) where something blows into the ocean and I (not the person who let it fly away) runs after and gets it, or grab stuff in the ocean and tuck it in my wetsuit. Everyone must contribute!

DITTO AND DITTO! Chest zip wetsuits are the best for tucking the trash away!

[cml]

Hi! Where is this located? It is very important that you report this find. I am a marine biologist and am familiar with the issues facing Kemp's Ridley and other sea turtle species. The Kemp's Ridley is protected under a number of endangered species acts. It is unlawful to possess the shell or skull without properly notifying authorities first. Learn more about it here: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/...empsridley.htm Since the body appears to be relatively intact, I imagine they would have a better chance of identifying the cause of death and other important biological data.

[Erock]

looks like a loggerhead. while getting plastic out of the ocean his highly honorable ( I do it every session) our oceans are being stripped of life. Almost all fish species that people like to eat have been over-fished, and when one species is gone we move on to the next. Maybe you have been to restaurants that serve Chilean Seabass. The fish is actually called Patagonian toothfish. They are deepwater fish and slow to reproduce. Average catch size has dropped from 60-80 lbs to 20-25 lbs. When you take the spawning fish out of a population it inevitably crashes the species.

Let me further qualify your statement Johnny
The US is at the forefront of fishery conservation on the global scale. We made plenty of mistakes in the past, still are making some today. However, we, unlike many other countries globally, have learned from our mistakes. We are now OVER-regulated in many areas thanks to the current makeup of NOAA and NMFS bureaucrats. We have massive stocks of many popular species in our waters now that continue to build at a very healthy rate
Here's the problem on a global scale: The UN (which we fund more than all the other members combined) requires the US to also abide by it's global fishing treaties. But guess what, the UN does not require any other member country to abide by the treaties in so far as they just turn a blind eye. Your example of the "chilean seabass" being perfect. That fishery is fished mainly by European and Asian industrial fishing fleets. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are another great example. The UN turns a blind eye to the overfishing occurring in Asian waters and, even worse, they do nothing about the Mediterranean net fishery for the juvenile, pre-brooding stock because most North African countries are considered "developing" which pretty much means they can do what they want. Anyway, long story short, the US does more than it's part in protecting our ocean wildlife.

As far as the turtle, probably a loggerhead. And at 5' in length, more than likely a very old one that probably died of old age.

[wet suit = no tourists]

If he had only learned to stayabovetheweather life could have been gruvi.

[johhnyutah]

Let me further qualify your statement Johnny
The US is at the forefront of fishery conservation on the global scale. We made plenty of mistakes in the past, still are making some today. However, we, unlike many other countries globally, have learned from our mistakes. We are now OVER-regulated in many areas thanks to the current makeup of NOAA and NMFS bureaucrats. We have massive stocks of many popular species in our waters now that continue to build at a very healthy rate
Here's the problem on a global scale: The UN (which we fund more than all the other members combined) requires the US to also abide by it's global fishing treaties. But guess what, the UN does not require any other member country to abide by the treaties in so far as they just turn a blind eye. Your example of the "chilean seabass" being perfect. That fishery is fished mainly by European and Asian industrial fishing fleets. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are another great example. The UN turns a blind eye to the overfishing occurring in Asian waters and, even worse, they do nothing about the Mediterranean net fishery for the juvenile, pre-brooding stock because most North African countries are considered "developing" which pretty much means they can do what they want. Anyway, long story short, the US does more than it's part in protecting our ocean wildlife.

As far as the turtle, probably a loggerhead. And at 5' in length, more than likely a very old one that probably died of old age.

Erock, appreciate the clarification. I would agree that there are examples of fisheries in the US being regulated appropriately, some that are being "over" regulated from a commercial fisherman's position. The lobster fishery in Maine is an example where the state decided, many years ago to protect females by notching the tails of egg bearing females. Maine's fishery remains highly productive while other states' are not. In Maryland, we just started (several years ago) prohibiting the catch of female crabs by recreational anglers) and the crab populations have been recovering nicely. The Atlantic Menhaden fishery has been mismanaged for years, with undo weight being given to one company and their purse seine fishery. It appears ASMFC is poised to reduce the quota for the first time in history. Pelagic fish that roam the oceans are overfished because of the extreme difficulty in International management agreements, and enforcement. I was in Korea several years ago and eating seafood with a number of Koreans. A plate of very small fish (like 3-4") was placed on the table and I was fascinated by them. I looked closely and realized that they were baby Croaker, couldn't believe they were serving such tiny fish in a restaurant when in 3 years they would provide so much more.

[johhnyutah]

Hi! Where is this located? It is very important that you report this find. I am a marine biologist and am familiar with the issues facing Kemp's Ridley and other sea turtle species. The Kemp's Ridley is protected under a number of endangered species acts. It is unlawful to possess the shell or skull without properly notifying authorities first. Learn more about it here: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/...empsridley.htm Since the body appears to be relatively intact, I imagine they would have a better chance of identifying the cause of death and other important biological data.

good 411 cml, where do you work? A necropsy would provide scientists with some good info.

[ripthegnar]

not really sure what turtle it is, but i hope it died of old age and not an environmental hazard

[dave]

maybe it lived a full life, laid many eggs and just died of old age

[OCSURF]

I dont think it could bare to live in the same waters as Gruvi, commitied suicide... poor guy I feel your pain

[ND081]

i've seen some pretty weird/scary stuff wash up on the beach, but never a sea turtle. i've been in the water with turtles that were alive for (lack of a better word) in south carolina and puerto rico, but never seen one this far north. i wonder what it was doing up here