Endangered status pushed for loggerhead turtles

The U.S. government intends to reclassify the loggerhead sea turtle, a common visitor to Virginia waters, as an endangered species along the East Coast.

The marine creature, which can weigh up to 250 pounds and measure 3 feet long, has been protected as a threatened species since 1978. Yet its nesting activity from Virginia to Florida - especially in Florida - continues to decline significantly, prompting the government to seek stricter controls.

Two federal agencies announced their recommendations this week after a yearlong investigation of loggerhead trends worldwide.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service urge that loggerheads be separated into nine populations, seven of which should be deemed threatened and two endangered - one on the East Coast, one on the West Coast.

The decision was applauded Thursday by conservation groups, which had petitioned the government for the changes three years ago, and by marine scientists who said the numbers could not be overlooked.

"For a while there, we thought the East Coast population was recovering," said Jack Musick, a sea turtle expert and longtime researcher at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. "But beginning in 1998 or so, the nesting numbers have just declined so much. It's quite alarming."

If the new endangered classification is approved after a 90-day comment period, permits for marine activity that might involve loggerheads could be tougher to obtain, and possible restrictions on fishing might be coming, officials say.

Elizabeth Griffin, a marine wildlife scientist with Oceana, an environmental group that petitioned for the new status, said she expects more urgency.

"It should raise the profile of the loggerhead, maybe increase its research priorities and budgets," Griffin said, "and hopefully raise more awareness for turtle conservation."

Five types of sea turtles are known to visit the Virginia and North Carolina coasts during their annual migratory trek, usually between May and November. Three are endangered and two are threatened, including the loggerhead, which by far is the most commonly seen in local waters.

Loggerheads are distinctive for their orange and brown coloring, their powerful jaws and passive demeanors. Juveniles especially are drawn to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, where they feast on crabs and sea snails.

They also nest in the dunes of southern Virginia Beach and on the Eastern Shore. The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach takes special precautions to relocate and protect the handful of turtle nests dug each spring and summer.

John Gallegos, a wildlife biologist at the refuge, said nesting activity has remained fairly consistent over the years at Back Bay. But he welcomed the news about loggerheads becoming an endangered species.

"The more protection, the better," he said.

Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com