November 15, 11:30 am at Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove, CA

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:
Joanna Nasar
Director of Communications
Turtle Island Restoration Network
Cell: (415) 488-7711
Joanna@seaturtles.org

Garden Grove, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2015) – Turtle Island Restoration Network (SeaTurtles.Org), a leading ocean and marine wildlife conservation non-profit, and Kurmalliance, a non-profit focused on improving marine ecosystems for sea turtles, and all their cohabitant, will be hosting a peaceful protest march in front of the Hyatt Regency Orange County (the site of the upcoming Pacific Fisheries Management Council Meeting) on next Sunday, November 15.

The goal of the protest march is to raise public awareness around the use of drift gillnets to target swordfish and thresher shark off the California Coast, and to call on the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) to end the use of these mile-long nets.

The California drift gillnet fishery consists of just 20 boats, and is among the worst 20 percent of all fisheries globally. The fishery kills more whales and dolphins as bycatch than all other fisheries on the West Coast or Alaska combined. Additionally, it costs more to operate than the value of target species of fish caught.

WHO: Everyone is invited to participate in the peaceful protest march to save sea turtles, dolphins, whales, sharks, and sea lions from the drift gillnet fishery.

WHAT: A protest march with Turtle Island Restoration Network, Kurmalliance, Patagonia staff, and concerned activists in front of the Hyatt Regency Orange County (Site of PFMC Meeting). Protesters will be dressed as sea turtles, sharks and other marine wildlife impacted by the driftnet fishery, carrying signs and chanting.

WHERE: Hyatt Regency Orange County, 11999 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA 92840

WHEN: Sunday, November 15th starting at 11:30 am.

WHY: To raise awareness about one of the worst fisheries in the world – the California driftnet fishery, and to call on the PFMC to shut it down.

For more details on the protest march please visit: https://seaturtles.org/newssection/legal-protest-end-killing-thousands-whales-sea-turtles-sharks/

Read our California Drift Gillnet Fishery Fact Sheet here: https://seaturtles.org/newssection/california-drift-gillnet-fishery-fact-sheet/

###

Turtle Island Restoration Network is an international marine conservation organization headquartered in California whose 200,000+ members and online activists work to protect sea turtles and marine biodiversity in the United States and around the world. For 25 years, Turtle Island Restoration Network has mobilized people to preserve oceans, restore rivers and streams, and protect the marine wildlife – from sea turtles to sharks – that call these blue-green waters home.  SeaTurtles.org