Group sues to require sea-turtle trap doors in shrimp nets
A conservation group has sued to make all shrimpers put trap-doors for sea turtles into their nets.
All sea turtles found in U.S. waters are endangered or threatened.
Oceana also wants the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries arm to set a limit on the number of sea turtles that may legally be killed each year in Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawls, and to strengthen enforcement.
A spokeswoman Wednesday said NOAA Fisheries does not comment on pending litigation.
There are some exemptions to rules requiring the devices. Oceana wants exemptions canceled.
Shrimpers say they follow the rules and never pull up turtles.
Biologists say hundreds of dead sea turtles found after the 2010 oil spill had drowned, probably in shrimp nets.