17 Sep 2004

Marshall Islands aims to bring down turtle deaths

9:19 am on 17 September 2004

The United States government has lent its backing to a project to help stop fishing boats in the central Pacific region from accidentally catching sea turtles.

The Marshall Islands has launched a project to collect information about the types and amounts of turtles caught.

The Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority aims to increase to the survival rate of turtles by teaching more people how to release turtles safely back into the sea.

Authorities will also place more observers on longline and purse seine fishing vessels to monitor and record information on tuna catches.

The project has been funded by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Honolulu.