ATLANTA— Conservation groups today filed a petition asking the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to adopt regulations that would protect diamondback terrapins from drowning in blue crab pots.

Such traps kill tens of thousands of these imperiled turtles a year across the country, but adding a little device to the pots can curb the problem.

“Georgia should protect diamondback terrapins from drowning in blue crab pots, especially since an inexpensive little device could pretty much fix this sad situation,” said Tara Zuardo, a senior wildlife advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s time for Georgia wildlife officials to follow other states and take basic steps to require that crab traps don’t kill more of these imperiled turtles. It’s cheap, it’s simple, and it could save thousands of turtles.”

Diamondback terrapins, found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas, are the only turtles in the world who live exclusively in coastal estuaries. These estuaries are also home to blue crabs, which are trapped in crab pots. Crab pots trap and drown imperiled diamondback terrapins, who have suffered population declines of 75% across most of their range in the past 50 years.

Today’s petition was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, One Hundred Miles, Skidaway Audubon, Altamaha Riverkeeper and Coastal Plan Conservation Group and urges the state to require bycatch reduction devices on all blue crab pots in near-shore waters where terrapins are frequently found. When installed on crab pot entrance funnels, these small and inexpensive devices prevent most terrapins from entering the pot, while having little to no effect on crab haul.

Experts agree that blue crab pots pose the greatest threat to diamondback terrapins, with 60,000 to 80,000 killed in active and abandoned crab traps each year along America’s coasts. Baited blue crab pots are known to trap and drown terrapins, while fleets of traps are capable of steadily killing turtles until a population cannot sustain itself. Abandoned or lost traps — called ghost pots — can capture terrapins by the dozen.

Traditional funnel-style crab pots are banned in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut because of the danger they pose to terrapin turtles and other marine life. New York and New Jersey require bycatch reduction devices on recreational and commercial pots, while Delaware, Florida and Maryland require the devices on recreational pots.

Under state law the agency must respond to the petition within 30 days.

In September 2024 the Center for Biological Diversity and 20 partner organizations petitioned NOAA Fisheries to protect diamondback terrapins as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Background

Diamondback terrapins are known for their stunning diamond-patterned shells and speckled skin. Spending most of their lives in nearshore habitat, they live in coastal marshes, tidal creeks, mangroves and other estuarine habitats. The turtles primarily feed on snails, clams, mussels and small crabs. Terrapins are potentially a keystone species in salt marshes and mangroves, helping to maintain the health of those ecosystems.