Is It Illegal To Interfere With Sea Turtle Nests?

Sea turtles are disappearing rapidly for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is because of the increasing difficultly for the mother turtles to find a place to lay their eggs. The shores are eroding more and more each year due to natural causes, while human interference in the landscape causes undesirable conditions for laying eggs. They either have to find a new place to construct their nests or refrain from laying eggs at all. Because of this, many states have implemented laws that make it illegal to interfere with sea turtle nests.Is this new to you? Catch up here There is also a Federal Endangered Species Act that protects sea turtles and their nests.

The hardest part is getting people to obey the law. To many, the sea turtle nests are a nuisance. We need to help them understand why it is important to promote the laying of sea turtle eggs. In order to help increase the population, we need to encourage the following practices: Refrain from using artificial lighting in beach areas; avoid walking around beaches at night using flashlights; attempt to steer clear of dunes; and do not use flash cameras especially during nesting cycles.