In the past six months alone, nearly 400 sea turtles have washed up dead or injured, mostly off the coast of Mississippi. Examinations show the majority drowned, indicating they were trapped in fishing gear, federal scientists said.
"Forced submergence was the leading cause. That's commonly associated with fishing activities," said Michael Barnette, a fisheries biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Federal regulators also have documented a large decrease in the number of shrimp trawlers using required equipment that allows trapped sea turtles to escape. The National Marine Fisheries Service has increased enforcement of those requirements and is considering new rules that could expand gear requirements by April 2012. Meetings will be held this month to gather public comment.
While spike in deaths is mostly confined to the northern Gulf, any new rules would apply to the entire Gulf and Atlantic coasts, including Southwest Florida.