Sea turtle shot with speargun off Smiling Cove

A juvenile green sea turtle succumbed to a wound inflicted by a speargun last Sunday off the waters of Smiling Cove Marina.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources Sea Turtle Conservation Program and the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Enforcement Division responded to the incident. The turtle was then taken to be assessed and treated; however, later succumbed to its fatal wound.

Carey Demapan, Endangered Species Program manager at DLNR, has this message to the community: “If you have any information on this incident, please report it to the DLNR Main Office, DFW Enforcement, or through our social media pages. Sea turtles are protected under local and federal laws. They provide valuable benefits to our ecosystems, most especially our marine environments. If you are interested in learning more about turtles, please contact our office to schedule learning opportunities.”

Green sea turtles are protected federally under the Endangered Species Act and locally under CNMI Public Law 02-51; therefore, any harassment or take of sea turtles of any size class is against the law. According to Demapan, fines and penalties if caught endangering sea turtles can go up to $25,000 per offense and up to six months jail time.

When asked how often reports of this kind are made, Depaman said it rarely occurs, but that human-caused threats such as illegal harvesting, boat strikes, and net entanglement are more common.

If you have any tips or would like to report any sea turtle nesting, hatching, strandings, or unlawful take, reach out to the Sea Turtle Conservation Program at (670) 322-9830/34 or message CNMI Sea Turtle Program directly on Facebook or Instagram. You may also contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement team at (670) 664-6000.