A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the successful prosecution of the person who caused the death of a green sea turtle entangled in a homemade net found in Port Orange, Fla., according to a March 17 release from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the turtle in a homemade net next to a kayak launch along Route 1, between Spruce Creek Park and Divito Park, NOAA Fisheries said.
“North Atlantic green sea turtles are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and it is illegal to harm them," NOAA Fisheries said. "We are seeking information from anyone who may have details of this incident."
A non-human autopsy of the turtle March 18 revealed it died from drowning because of entanglement in the net, NOAA reported.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement investigators are seeking information from anyone who may have details of this incident. Call the NOAA enforcement hotline at 800-853-1964.
In the past, green turtles were hunted for their fat, meat and eggs. Today, accidental catches by fishers, vessel strikes, loss of nesting habitat and climate change are the biggest threats to the species.
