NPR : Government Weighs Turtles' Habitat vs. Fishing

All Things Considered, August 30, 2006 · Federal fisheries managers are considering whether to allow gill-netting in the habitat of Pacific leatherback turtles. The endangered turtles live off the coasts of Northern Californian and Oregon. Each year at this time, leatherback turtles visit the Pacific Northwest coast. They swim thousands of miles to munch on the stinging jellyfish that live there. The area is a currently closed to the lucrative swordfishing industry because the fishermen's nets could pose a danger to the turtles. Now the federal government is considering a controversial request to let the fishermen back in.