DATE: November 4, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: Courtney Kiel
Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division
PHONE: 954-519-1255
EMAIL: ckiel@broward.org

BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Like the millions of people who call Florida home, so too do five species of sea turtles. And like their human counterparts, turtles are frequently seen just offshore from Broward County or near one of the many fishing piers in the County. Unfortunately, sometimes these encounters aren't always so friendly.

So is the plight of "Cedar," a small green sea turtle that was inadvertently hooked by a fisherman near the Dania Beach Pier last month. Now that the little turtle has been nursed back to health, it's time to send her back to her home - the Atlantic Ocean.

Come to the beach at the end of Green Street, close to the Carpenter House, in Hollywood to join the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (BCSTCP), Nova Southeastern University (NSU,) and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center this Thursday, November 5th, at 5PM for the release of Cedar.

On October 8th, 2015 the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program staff responded to a call to the 24-Hour Broward County Sea Turtle Emergency Response line (954-328-0580) about a small turtle that had been inadvertently hooked by a fisherman. Upon arrival to the pier, pier staff had Cedar safely contained. Cedar was quite active and was assessed on site by BCSTCP program staff and then transported to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center for treatment. Due to Cedar's lively state when first encountered, the response and rehabilitation staff had hope that she would make a good recovery.

Upon arrival at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, their rehabilitation staff was ready to receive Cedar for treatment. After a preliminary examination, one fishing hook was immediately found; two more were found later after X-rays were taken. Two hooks around the neck area were removed, but the third was too deeply imbedded in Cedar's shell to remove without further stressing Cedar. This third hook did not move and did not seem to impede feeding behavior. Additionally, it is extremely corroded and does not seem to be a long term issue, leaving Gumbo's staff with the confidence that Cedar's best option is to return home.

Unfortunately fishing hooks are a common cause of strandings near the piers, since much of the bait used looks mighty tasty to a sea turtle. Thankfully, Dania Beach Pier staff were trained under the Responsible Pier Initiative in 2013, which better equips and familiarizes pier staff with how to respond once a sea turtle is hooked. This training allows for a faster response time to a specialized facility like Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, and therefore a better chance at survival.

After a month of treatment and rehabilitation at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Cedar is ready to head back home. The Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, invites members of the South Florida media and the community at large to join us for the release of Cedar. Please come help us send Cedar back to the wild in style!

Here are some sea turtle stranding/rehabilitation stats from the past two years: