Sea turtles strandings have increased dramatically. Congress might create a fund to bail them out

PORTLAND, Maine — Sea turtle strandings have ticked up at an alarming rate in New England, but now the reptiles are close to receiving a lifeline from Congress to help them stay in the water. Congress is nearing passage of the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, which would create a new $33 million federal grant program to fund institutions around the country that rescue, rehabilitate and research stranded turtles. Less than 50 sea turtles were found stranded on Cape Cod in 2000, but by 2022 that number ballooned to 866, said Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts. “We will not let these rescue and rehabilitation organizations, much less sea turtles, sink.” The annual average number of cold-stunned turtles in Massachusetts has also increased over time. Providing more assistance to organizations that care for stranded turtles “would have a significant impact on the continuation of this collaborative conservation work and the resulting research to solve ocean challenges,” said Vikki Spruill, president and CEO of the New England Aquarium, in support of the proposal last year.