Politics & Government
Assemblyman to Introduce Legislation to Protect Sea Turtle
Paul Fong (D-Cupertino)'s bill aims to name the animal as California's official marine reptile.
A Bay Area politician has plans to introduce legislation in Sacramento to protect the Leatherback sea turtle.
Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino, said his bill names the Leatherback sea turtle as California's official marine reptile, thereby bringing attention to the need to protect the sea creature that migrates between Indonesia and California.
"Leatherback sea turtles are in danger of becoming extinct and we need stronger conservation effort to protect these remarkable creatures," Fong said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Leatherback sea turtles can grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds, according to Fong's office.
During their Pacific migrations, the turtles face threats from fisheries pollution and ship strikes. Since the 1980s, the Pacific leatherback sea turtle has declined in population by 95 percent.
Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Bay City News
To receive news feeds about Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated Coastside between Montara and Pescadero, visit Half Moon Bay Patch on Facebook and "like" us here. Follow us on Twitter here.
