Local organization calls on US Government to assist with sea turtle conservation efforts

MARYLAND. – Of the six different species of sea turtles that can be found in US waters, all of them are considered to be endangered.

In an effort to restore the populations and care for any injured turtles, a local organization is calling on the US government to help.

“The Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, bipartisan legislation, introduced in both the house and the senate, will address this problem, by ensuring that there is a permanent federal program for organizations like the National Aquarium, to treat sick and injured sea turtles before returning them back to their home,” said National Aquarium Vice President of Government Affairs, Ryan Fredriksson.

The National Aquarium Animal Rescue Stranding Response Center in Ocean City is the first stop for injured sea turtles that are found on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Fredriksson said the triage center helps prepare patients for their journey over the bridge.

“It’s about stabilizing patients before putting them in a long car ride, sometimes to Baltimore, for rehabilitation,” Fredriksson said.

Ultimately rehabbing the sea turtles and returning them back home.

But none of this is possible without funding, and Fredriksson hopes the government will act soon, so the center can get the necessary funds to continue their work.

“The ultimate goal is to recover them, to the point that we can then remove them from those federal protections,” Fredriksson said. “We’re still a long way from that, and there’s still a lot of work to be done, which is why we need the federal government to invest more in protected species, like sea turtles.”