PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Sea turtle strandings have increased at an alarming rate in New England, but now the reptiles are close to getting a lifeline from Congress to help them stay afloat.
Congress is about to pass the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Act, which would create a new $33 million federal grant program to fund facilities around the country that rescue, rehabilitate and research stranded turtles. The help would come as scientists and federal officials are sounding the alarm that more cold-stunned turtles are washing up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, likely as a result of climate change.
Fewer than 50 sea turtles were found stranded on Cape Cod in 2000, but by 2022, the number will rise to 866, the Democratic Sen said. Ed Markey from Massachusetts. Quick action is needed to help the turtles because all six sea turtle species found in the United States are threatened or endangered, Markey said.
The turtles face “extinction and environmental destruction” without help, said Markey, the turtle law sponsor.
“Our current rescue efforts are largely voluntary and underfunded, forcing our aquariums to keep our shelled friends safe,” he said. “We will not let these rescue and rehabilitation organizations, let alone sea turtles, sink.”
The annual average number of cold shocks in Massachusetts has also increased over time. Two decades ago, it was 139, and in the past five years it has risen to 739, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in June.
The sea turtle bill was placed on the Senate calendar after it was unanimously approved by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on July 31. A similar measure, introduced by Democratic Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts, passed the House earlier this year.
Both proposals have bipartisan support, with the Senate measure sponsored by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
Sea turtles sometimes suffer from cold shock because they are unable to regulate their body temperature. In recent years, hundreds of turtles have become stranded in Massachusetts. The New England Aquarium has a sea turtle hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts that cares for the animals, which sometimes require months of treatment before they can be released back into the marine environment.
Providing more assistance to organizations caring for stranded turtles “would have a significant impact on continuing this collaborative conservation effort and the resulting research to address ocean challenges,” said Vikki Spruill, president and CEO of the New England Aquarium. proposal last year.
