August 27, 2005
29 loggerheads took part in study looking at net escape hatch

BY JOHN A. TORRES
FLORIDA TODAY

SEBASTIAN - The local loggerhead sea turtle population grew Friday morning as 29 turtles -- caught years ago to help save their species -- were released into the wild about a mile south of the Sebastian Inlet.

The turtles, originally from Broward County shores, spent the past three years in Galveston, Texas, helping the government determine which Turtle Excluder Devices or TEDS worked best. The devices resemble trap doors put into shrimp nets to help the turtles escape drowning.

Federal and state laws mandate that shrimpers use these devices. Loggerhead turtles -- the most common nesters in Florida -- are a threatened species.

"There are several different variations of devices being studied to see which are more effective," said Paul Tritaik, refuge manager for Pelican Island and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission. "Obviously this is important to help us reduce the by-catch and mortality of sea turtles. They get caught up in these nets and drown."

Streams of volunteers carried the nameless turtles one at a time in a wooden box and released them in the shallow lagoon waters west of State Road A1A. The first of the 100-pound creatures swam smoothly out of the box, gliding effortlessly through the waters. A few moments later, it circled back toward shore and raised its head, eliciting cheers from the 100 or so onlookers and volunteers.

Full-grown turtles can weigh up to 300 pounds.

"I just love turtles and I believe in protecting the environment," said Charlotte Terry of Vero Beach. She said she wore her fishing lure earrings because she couldn't find her turtle ones. "So few of these turtles survive. It will be amazing to see how these turtles do."

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, who sponsored the study, the loggerhead turtle was listed as a threatened species in 1978 and its status has not changed. Florida's population appears stable, but shrimp trawling, pollution and human use of beaches has led to a decline in numbers elsewhere.

Meghan Conti, an environmental specialist with Florida Fish and Wildlife, said it would take some time before the net-testing data can be analyzed.

"We have seen a reduction in the number of sea turtles that would normally have been hurt or killed in the nets," she said.

Tritaik said they made the decision to release the turtles south of the inlet into calm, shallow waters to allow the turtles to become acclimated to living in the wild again.

"They eventually will end up in the ocean," he said. "They need to get a bearing on their new wild environment."

Besides humans and nets, Tritaik said the only things these turtles have to worry about is tiger sharks.