NZ's inaction on turtle bycatch in fisheries risks reputational damage -- and it's pushing leatherbacks closer to extinction
- Written by: Matthew Hall, Senior Researcher, Environmental Law Initiative and Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Shutterstock/ACEganHundreds of endangered sea turtles have been caught in New Zealand’s commercial fisheries since 2002, according to a recent report released by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
At least 80% are leatherback turtles, most likely from their western Pacific subpopulation which is considered critically endangered. The...