Petition to Designate the Northwest Atlantic Leatherback Subpopulation of Sea Turtles as a Distinct Population Segment and List the DPS as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act

The Blue Water Fishermen’s Association hereby petitions the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Marine Fisheries Service, to designate the Northwest Atlantic Leatherback Subpopulation of sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) as a Distinct Population Segment under the ESA, in accordance with the Policy Regarding the Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments, 61 Fed. Reg. 4722 (February 7, 1996). BWFA further petitions USFWS and NMFS  to list this DPS as a threatened species under the ESA.