Loggerhead Protection
U.S. Legislation
Since July 28, 1978 loggerheads have
been listed as threatened throughout their entire range under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) (National Research Council 1990,
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 1997). The National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) have developed specific regulations to
limit in water and on shore take respectively as required by the
ESA. The term take means to “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot,
wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in
any such conduct” (ESA, Section 3:19). With a permit, individuals
are allowed some limited amount of incidental take of
loggerheads.
International Regulation
The Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) has outlawed international trade in sea
turtles and their products. Several countries have developed their
own regulations regarding loggerhead protection. The Bahamas has
established a closed season on harvesting adult and subadult turtles
and minimum size restrictions. Costa Rica employs a legal quota of
loggerheads that can be taken. Mexico abates the poaching of eggs
and nesting females by conducting beach patrols. When attempting to
protect such a highly migratory animal, it is essential to have
international protection efforts (National Research Council
1990).
International agreements are abundant and can probably be found through a google search, some examples include: the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Inter-American Convention for the Protection of Sea Turtles (IAC).
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