Protect Sea Turtles From Fisheries

My mom received an email today from the Sea Turtle Restoration Project today. She asked me to get the word out to everyone to send a letter or email by August 12, 2008 to Alan Risenhoover, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries to urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to withdraw its proposed rule regarding Magnuson-Stevens Act Environmental Review Procedures and develop a new rule that complies with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. Click on this link to send an email http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1723/t/6251/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25271.

The proposed NEPA rule:

Invents a complicated new processto replace environmental impact statements, effectively discarding thirty years of established case law and practice by managers and the public.

Allows individuals with financial interests to control the environmental review and public participation process. The proposed rule enables the regional fishery management councils - a majority of whose appointed members have financial interests in the fisheries they manage - to control the environmental review and public participation process.

Enables fishery managers to circumvent environmental reviewwith new loopholes.

Permits significant reduction in public inputby allowing mangers to reduce the time periods for public comment well below the current required minimum with no outside oversight.

Sea turtles are protected from by-catch interactions with commercial fisheries such as longline swordfish and tuna fisheries under federal environmental laws. However, these protections are now under threat from proposed new, weaker regulations. Please do your part to help protect sea turtles.