A new petition to protect Diamondback Terrapins has been submitted to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by the Center for Biological Diversity along with 20 partner organizations.
The stakeholders aim to have the terrapins classified as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act.
The move comes after the fact that the number of animals has declined by nearly 75% in the last 50 years. The terrapins inhabit pastures and marches stretching from Texas to Massachusetts.
The main culprit in the decline of these poor creatures is crab traps. Scientists estimate that between 60,000 to 80,000 terrapins drown every year in these contraptions.
According to Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity:
“Tens of thousands of terrapins are drowning in crab traps each year. Without the lifeline of Endangered Species Act protection, they’ll sink into extinction.”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group has thrown its weight behind the petition. According to the chair of the group, Craig Stanford:
“On behalf of more than 400 scientists and conservationists who comprise the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, I urge you to take action to protect the diamondback terrapin at the federal level. Extensive scientific studies have shown that — from habitat loss to roadkill mortality to crab pot drownings — this species is in peril.”
