KempsRidleySeaTurtle_Blockade_Allen_Carole_HoustonTX_30January2017_ReelNA.mp3

Carole Allen [00:00:01] The shrimpers were putting up a really big fight, and they proposed that the installation of the turtle excluders be postponed until a big study would be done by the National Research Council.

Carole Allen [00:00:17] So, the good thing that happened in Congress was that they said, "Okay, we agree there should be more of a study", although there were so many studies then, it was crazy. I mean, Marine Fisheries Service had put observers on boats. They knew, I mean, they knew they were drowning our turtles.

Carole Allen [00:00:41] But anyway, the Congress said, "Well, okay, we can do that study, but we're not going to wait. We're going to wait to put the turtle excluders on the nets."

Carole Allen [00:00:51] So, that was a big, big victory.

Carole Allen [00:00:54] And they got on with the study. National Research Council did a very, very detailed study.

Carole Allen [00:01:03] And when they released the findings, it was incredibly true and stated in no uncertain terms that the greatest threat to the existence of sea turtles was their interaction, and being caught by the shrimp trawls.

Carole Allen [00:01:23] Well, of course, then the shrimp industry got all uptight about that again. And they knew they'd, they knew they'd lost, but they weren't ready to put the turtle excluders on.

Carole Allen [00:01:34] So, at the time they were supposed to do that, then there was a big protest and they blockaded the Houston Ship Channel and also they did the same thing down at Corpus Christi. But the Ship Channel, when they did that, it cost millions of dollars. They stopped these huge ships from coming in from all over the world for two or three days, and it cost millions of dollars.

Carole Allen [00:02:03] And the Coast Guard was out there. I think in Corpus Christi, somebody fired a gun up in the air, blockaded here and down in Corpus also.

Carole Allen [00:02:15] And that that did not do them any good because they lost millions of dollars for the shipping industry and the Port of Houston.

Carole Allen [00:02:25] And they broke the law.

Carole Allen [00:02:27] I mean, the law was, put the turtle excluders on and get out there and, and shrimp.