House Bill 9443

    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HR 9443

        By Representative Horan






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution recognizing the importance of

  3         research into the preservation of Florida's sea

  4         turtles.

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  6         WHEREAS, Florida's waters are home to a number of

  7  species of sea turtles, including the green sea turtle and the

  8  loggerhead sea turtle, all of which are listed by the state

  9  and the Federal Government as threatened or endangered, and

10         WHEREAS, although identified as threatened or

11  endangered, and thereby protected by law, Florida's sea

12  turtles continue to face a host of threats to their survival,

13  and

14         WHEREAS, the green sea turtle and loggerhead sea turtle

15  are currently victims of fibropapilloma, a fatal disease of

16  unknown cause, which is at epidemic levels in certain areas of

17  Florida, and the seriousness of this disease has been amply

18  attested by wildlife and sea turtle biologists, whose research

19  efforts have been documented in several reports and papers,

20  and

21         WHEREAS, the National Marine Fisheries Service has

22  established a Sea Turtle Recovery Plan for both green sea

23  turtles and loggerhead sea turtles and is working with the

24  Department of Environmental Protection in tagging, releasing,

25  and recovering both green and loggerhead sea turtles and

26  assisting in the disposal of diseased and dead turtles, and

27         WHEREAS, despite some fibropapilloma research, much

28  more is required in order to effectively protect both the

29  green sea turtle and the loggerhead sea turtle, NOW,

30  THEREFORE,

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HR 9443

    575-154-98






  1  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

  2  Florida:

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  4         That the House of Representatives recognizes that

  5  fibropapilloma is indeed a serious threat to the survival of

  6  the state's green sea turtles and loggerhead sea turtles, both

  7  protected by state and federal law, and urges that research

  8  into the preservation of these species be viewed as a matter

  9  of pressing concern.

10         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution

11  be dispatched to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the

12  Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Marine

13  Research Institute.

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