Sea turtles are valued by people around the world. They are a symbol of longevity, fertility, strength, and protection from harm. They are often a valuable eco-tourism attraction. In spite of this, sea turtle populations are declining due to hunting, disturbance of nesting habitat, marine pollution, predation, and incidental catches in fishing gear, including shallow-set “pelagic” longlines, trawls, and gillnets. This booklet presents ways to minimize interactions between turtles and pelagic longlines.
