FOR MEDIA USE

PRESS RELEASE
Washington - Oceana today released Net Casualties, a new report revealing that the federal government authorizes commercial fishing operations in the United States to kill nearly 10,000 sea turtles and harm another 334,000 each year without assessing the harm done to populations of endangered and threatened sea turtles. Click here to read the entire release. Click here to read the letter that Oceana sent to Dr. William Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

BACKGROUND
All six species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. "Dirty fishing" by commercial fishing operations is one of the greatest threats to their survival. Each year, commercial fishing operations in the United States capture and kill thousands of sea turtles. For more information click here.

PHOTOS
Photographs are available for media use here.

These experts can be contacted directly:

• Elizabeth Griffin, Marine Wildlife Scientist, Oceana. Full biography. Cell phone: 202-271-5645
• Dr. Larry Crowder, Stephen Toth Professor of Marine Biology, Duke University. Full biography. Cell phone: 252-241-2350