World's largest sea turtle could come off endangered list
Source: Associated Press
World’s largest sea turtle could come off ‘endangered’ list
By PATRICK WHITTLE
42 minutes ago
Federal ocean managers say it might be time to move the East Coast population of the world’s largest turtle from the United States’ list of endangered animals.
An arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has received a petition from a fishing group asking that the Northwest Atlantic Ocean’s leatherback sea turtles be listed as “threatened,” but not endangered, under the Endangered Species Act. The giant reptiles, which can weigh 2,000 pounds, would remain protected under federal law, but their status would be moved down a notch.
NOAA officials have said the agency has reviewed the petition from New Jersey-based Blue Water Fishermen’s Association and found “substantial scientific and commercial information” that the move might be warranted. The agency now has about eight months to make a decision about the status of the turtles.
Leatherbacks live all over the world’s oceans and have been listed as endangered by the U.S. since 1970. Deciding whether the listing should be changed will require determining the stability of the population, said Jennifer Schultz, a fisheries biologist with NOAA Fisheries.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/d6705e3a79914d23ba2e0774e8b378f0/World's-largest-sea-turtle-could-come-off-'endangered'-list
= new reply since forum marked as read
Now that's a big turtle !
OTOH, don't look one in the mouth ... http://geekologie.com/2016/05/cool-nightmare-fuel-inside-of-leatherbac.php
Book rec: 
