California Resolves to Save Sea Turtles From Deadly Longlines

Sending a clear message to the administration to protect marine life from brutally dangerous fishing equipment, last Tuesday the California legislature passed a resolution against federal proposals to allow longline swordfish fishing in endangered sea turtle habitat. Longline fishing, which uses lines hundreds of miles long equipped with thousands of hooks, brings in about 50 percent bycatch, including seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sharks -- and it's one of today's worst threats facing federally protected Pacific leatherback and North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles. In fact, if current bycatch rates don't take a fast downturn, both species could die off completely within 10 to 20 years.

Last week's resolution, authored by state Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, is sponsored by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project and supported by several environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity.

Learn more from the Bay area's CBS5.