Donie's Ireland daily news BLOG update

Irish Government sets out its priorities for remainder of it's term

 

The Taoiseach and Tánaiste pledge to step up job creation efforts as they mark their third year in office.

Partners in arms: Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore at a joint press conference at Government Buildings on Tuesday.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he recognised many people have no sense of change in the recovering economy as he and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore pledged to step up the Government’s effort to boost job creation and economic growth.

Publishing a positive assessment of the Coalition’s performance in office in the last 12 months, Mr Kenny said said the end of the bailout in December meant the Government had “some little flexibility” to focus on jobs creation and the lack of credit in the banking sector.

The Government’s aim is to boost 2 per cent anticipated economic growth this year to 2.5 per cent in 2015 and to 3 per cent by 2016 with the long-term objectives of eliminating the budget deficit by 2018 and restoring full-employment by 2010.

“I’ve often said it’s the fallacy of fools in politics to look for any credit. This is a work in progress. We’re not going to grade ourselves. Obviously in the spring of 2016 all grades will be known,” Mr Kenny told reporters at Government Buildings.

“Clearly the bailout was not an end in itself, it’s the start of implementing now two priority targets, create more jobs and the fact that so many people in the country do not feel any sense of change in their lives for the better.

“While the unemployment figure is down from 15.1 per cent to 12 per cent, still much too high, the Tánaiste and I are committed on behalf of the parties in Government to have a continued relentless focus this year now on job creation.”

Noting that this month marks the beginning of the Government’s fourth year in office, Mr Gilmore said 2014 was the year in which decisions would be made as to how the people share in the recovery.

“If March 2011 was a critical moment in Ireland’s crisis, then 2014 is the pivotal moment in our country’s recovery,” he said.

“The test for our country and for the Government is how people are going to share in that recovery.”

Recovery should meant that people looking for work should be able to find it and that people who work for a living should be able to afford to live. “It should also mean that as our public finances allow that we can ease the burden on hard pressed families,” Mr Gilmore said.

The 2014 “Annual Report” on the Programme for Government said the Coalition will complete a second comprehensive expenditure review in the first half of the year and publish a revised capital plan.

There will be new measures in the coming weeks to boost employment in the construction sector. Draft legislation will also be published to establish a €6 billion Strategic Investment Fund.

A 7.1% VAT Irish Exchequer returns signals an increase of rising consumer confidence

  

The amount of VAT collected so far this year is up 7.1% on the same period in 2013, signaling people are starting to spend again.

But despite strong jobs figures showing employment increased last year by 61,000, the amount of income tax collected in January and February is roughly the same as the first two months of last year.

The Department of Finance described the income tax data from the latest Exchequer returns as surprising given the strong jobs figures.

A spokesman said officials are examining the issue and suggested it could be as a result of changes to payments systems that have been delaying some returns.

He said a number of income tax receipts for last month were received today, meaning they were too late to be included in the figures for last month.

“There is something going on and we’re not quite sure. But it’s only February and we’ll wait for March,” the spokesman said,

“They’re not as high as they should be. All of the other (economic) indicators are pointing the right way.

“It is surprising to see that income tax is basically flat in February.”

The first Exchequer data for 2014, released last month, was heavily distorted because of delays in receiving tax receipts due to the switch-over to a new European-wide payments system.

The latest Exchequer returns show €2.1bn was brought into the state’s coffers in VAT up to the end of last month. This is up from €1.98bn in the first two months of last year.

But overall, the tax take for the first two months of this year is flat compared with the first two months of 2013.

€5.8bn came in through tax in the first two months of the year, down €4m on the same period last year.

Public spending, at €7.1bn is down €236m or 3.2% year on year.

The deficit, the gap between how much the state spends and takes in through taxes and other revenue, widened to €1.7bn compared with €0.9bn at the end of February last year.

The Department said this was due to the sale of the Bank of Ireland Contingent Convertible Capital notes for over €1bn in January of last year and a loan to the Social Insurance Fund of €300m last month.

Passive smoking causes lasting damage to children’s arteries

 

Passive smoking causes lasting damage to children’s arteries, prematurely ageing their blood vessels by more than three years, say researchers.

The damage – thickening of blood vessel walls – increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes in later life, they say in the European Heart Journal.

In their study of more than 2,000 children aged three to 18, the harm occurred if both parents smoked.

Experts say there is no “safe” level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

This study goes a step further and shows it [passive smoking] can cause potentially irreversible damage to children’s arteries increasing their risk of heart problems in later life”

The research, carried out in Finland and Australia, appears to reveal the physical effects of growing up in a smoke-filled home – although it is impossible to rule out other potentially contributory factors entirely.

Hidden damage

Ultrasound scans showed how children whose parents both smoked developed changes in the wall of a main artery that runs up the neck to the head.

While the differences in carotid intima-media thickness were modest, they were significant and detectable some 20 years later when children had reached adulthood, say the investigators.

Study author Dr Seana Gall, from the University of Tasmania, said: “Our study shows that exposure to passive smoke in childhood causes a direct and irreversible damage to the structure of the arteries.

“Parents, or even those thinking about becoming parents, should quit smoking. This will not only restore their own health but also protect the health of their children into the future.”

The results took account of other factors that might otherwise explain the association, such as whether the children went on to be smokers themselves, but the findings remained unchanged.

However, if only one parent smoked the effect was not seen – possibly because exposure was not as high.

Dr Gall said: “We can speculate that the smoking behaviour of someone in a house with a single adult smoking is different. For example, the parent that smokes might do so outside away from the family, therefore reducing the level of passive smoking. However, as we don’t have this type of data, this is only a hypothesis.”

Regardless, experts say all children should be protected from second-hand smoke.

Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The negative health effects of passive smoking are well known, but this study goes a step further and shows it can cause potentially irreversible damage to children’s arteries increasing their risk of heart problems in later life.

‘Avoid scaremongering’

“If you’re a smoker, the single most effective way of reducing your child’s exposure to passive smoke is for you to quit.

“If this isn’t possible, having a smoke-free home and car offers the best alternative to help protect your child from the harmful effects of passive smoke.”

Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ group Forest, said: “We must avoid scaremongering because damage to arteries could be caused by a number of factors including poor diet and other forms of air pollution.

“While it’s sensible and considerate not to smoke around children in a small confined space it’s far too easy to point the finger at smokers when the issue is extremely complicated.”

To get equality in politics participation is no excuse for the promotion of women into the front-line

  

Michelle O’Donnell Keating is not a household name in Ireland, but perhaps she should be.

She, along with Niamh Gallagher, is founder of Women for Election, a non-profit, non-partisan organisation whose vision is of an Ireland with balanced participation of women and men in political life.

Their mission is to ensure an equal playing field for both sexes and, in particular, to inspire and equip women to succeed in politics in Ireland. They deserve our support and admiration.

They have an uphill battle, though. Despite the fact that it was an Irishwoman who became the first woman elected to the British House of Commons, the active participation of women in Irish politics is abysmal.

The charge was led by Constance Gore-Booth, the Countess Markiewicz, who won a Commons seat for the constituency of Dublin St Patrick’s as one of 73 Sinn Féin MPs elected in December 1918.

Constance did not take her seat and, along with the other Sinn Féin members elected, formed the first Dáil Éireann. She was also the first woman in Europe to hold a cabinet position, as Minister of Labour of the Irish Free State. It is ironic, therefore, that Ireland now stands a lowly 88th in the international league table of women in politics, the same as South Korea, below Morocco and Libya and just ahead of Mongolia.

As we approach International Women’s Day next Saturday, perhaps it is time to reflect on where we are and where we wish to be in terms of equal opportunity for women in politics. Our poor record of female participation is despite the fact that, unique among western democracies, Ireland elected two women in succession as President — Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese. Both — in their own way — did us proud.

So, why is it that, while we celebrate female presidents we seem reluctant to elect, or even select as candidates, a greater number of women as local representatives or members of the Dáil?

As the website womenforelection.ie records, since the foundation of the State, just 91 women have been elected and the Dáil has never been less than 85% male. In the 2011 general election, only 86 of 566 candidates were women (15%) and 25 of 166 of those elected were women (also 15%).

Looking ahead, the number of female candidates for the May local elections remains pitifully low, with a clear urban/rural divide. Women candidates are most concentrated in Leinster (27.8%), followed by Connacht (23.6%) and Ulster (18.8%). Munster has the least with 16.7%. Dublin has one of the highest number countrywide — 34.9%. Galway has 29.4% female representation, and Cork 21.4%.

That is hardly anything to shout about. In a report published yesterday, the National Women’s Council says women have not been properly integrated into the Oireachtas and this has had a negative impact on society. It is not as if women have not proven their political skills. The world’s two most powerful women are Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazil’s President Dilma Rouseff. Some of our best parliamentary performers in Ireland are women.

Why not a woman Taoiseach? Why not indeed, but that may not be enough. Even Nordic nations such as Denmark, where the leaders of its three main political parties are women, still struggle for full female representation.

We started the process of political equality almost 100 years ago. History demands that we finish it.A total of 1,000 patients and nearly 700 doctors were surveyed by the Medical Council.

NUI Galway now to offer extra CAO points for elite Irish athletes

 * * * * 

SOME FIFTEEN Irish ATHLETES WILL RECEIVE 40 POINTS ON TOP OF THEIR LEAVING CERT RESULTS.

FIFTEEN IRISH HIGH LEVEL athletes will be offered bonus CAO points for courses at NUI Galway.

The scheme announced yesterday will see elite athletes given 40 extra points as they apply for courses.

The plan is an extension of the university’s Elite Athlete Scholarship scheme which includes a subsistence grant, performance supports, gym membership and medical support.

It will only serve those under 21 who are applying for undergraduate courses who meet strict criteria in a number of identified sports.

The points will be added to a minimum requirement of 350 points from a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate in six subjects.

President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said that the scheme will support athletes in their learning.

“NUI Galway has a long and proud tradition of sporting success. Our success has fuelled our ambition.

“We aim to be leaders in research, innovation and learning and as a university we are proud to support the next generation of elite athletes as their ambition and dedication leads them to sporting success.”

Ireland rugby player Robbie Henshaw is a second year arts student at NUIG, he says that the supports offered can be vital.

Performing at the highest level means you can’t take your eye of the ball, so it’s great to see NUI Galway rewarding elite athletes for their dedication through this scheme.

“University support like this allows you to concentrate on getting the best results both on and off the pitch.”

Focus on Rote learning causes problems for Leaving Cert students

 

Conference hears of ways of improving transition to third level.

Universities complain the Leaving Certificate points system affects students’ capacity for independent thinking.

The focus on accumulating CAO points causes Leaving Certificate students to struggle with the transition to third level education, a conference has heard.

Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education Mary Doyle said the transition of students from second level to onward education must be improved.

“You can’t get further and higher education right until you get second level right,” she told the Association of Principals and Deputy Principals national symposium.

Projected growth in demand for second level places will bring greater challenges for schools and policy makers in an area which already accounts for 16% of Government spending.

Earlier, the president of the association Pádraig Fallon said Ireland had a high level of secondary school participation but it was important to improve access to further and higher education, especially among students from disadvantaged, Traveller and foreign backgrounds.

By 2018 an extra 70,000 students are expected to be in secondary education with enrolment due to peak at 990,000 in 2024. “Whichever way you look at it, it’s going to be big and it’s going to be expensive,” Ms Doyle said.

The transition to third level could be made easier if upward pressure on CAO points was eased by reducing the number of grade bands in the Leaving Certificate; addressing “problematic predictability” in the exams and reducing the number of specialised degree programmes in higher education, she said.

These factors push up CAO points requirements which then puts pressure on teachers to encourage rote learning among senior cycle students. This, in turn, leads third level institutions to complain that students lack the capacity for independent learning when they enter college.

“Using the Leaving Cert to decide who goes where in third level may have a negative effect on teaching in fifth and sixth years,” Ms Doyle said, adding that evidence suggests some students make subject choices based on what is easiest to rote learn.

Trinity College vice-provost Professor Linda Hogan agreed with Ms Doyle and said educators had to co-operate across the sector to bring about reform. It is “all too easy” for stakeholders to demand reform but to believe it should start somewhere else, she said. “If we are really going to reform education then we really do have to start working together and stop pointing the finger.”

She added the third level sector bore a significant level of responsibility for the problems besetting education in Ireland.

“The single biggest issue we are trying to address…is the emphasis on rote learning,” she said. A “byproduct” of the points system. Third level institutions are “dismayed” by that system but ignore the role they play in it and the power they have to change it.

She added that Trinity was trialing a new admission route which would consider a broader range of achievements rather than a single set of exams. “Every college wants to admit the best students,” she said. “But we have to move away from equating the best with a simple points score.”  

Donie's Ireland daily news BLOG Thursday

Minister Alan Shatter denies he was cautioned by the Gardaí at a checkpoint in 2011

 

MINISTER ADMITS HE WAS ASKED TO SUPPLY BREATH TEST ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION BUT FAILED TO COMPLETE TASK BECAUSE OF ASTHMA

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has denied he was cautioned by Gardaí at a checkpoint just prior to becoming Minister in 2011 but has admitted he was stopped by officers and asked to supply a breath test on a previous occasion.

Minister Shatter was responding to issues raised in the Dáil by Independent TD Mattie McGrath.

During Leaders’ Questions, Mr McGrath asked Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore if he or Taoiseach Enda Kenny were aware that Mr Shatter was stopped at a checkpoint in Dublin in late February or March 2011.

In a statement this evening, Mr Shatter denied any such event occurred at the time stated by Deputy McGrath.

However, he said he recalled an occasion in 2009, or possibly late 2008, when he was stopped at a Garda night-time mandatory checkpoint in Pembroke Street in Dublin.

“There was a queue of motorists and when I was reached, like those before me, my road tax and insurance discs were checked and I was asked to exhale into a breathalyser,” Mr Shatter said.

“I did so but failed to fully complete the task due to my being asthmatic.”

“I explained this to the Garda. I also explained that I was on my way home from Dáil Éireann and that I had consumed no alcohol of any nature that day. The Garda consulted with another Garda and I was waved on.”

Mr Shatter insisted there was no question of his having consumed any alcohol, nor of him having committed any offence under the Road Traffic Acts.

“I heard no further of the matter until I learnt it was raised by Deputy McGrath in questions today to the Tánaiste,” he added.

Earlier Mr Gilmore responded to Mr McGrath’s question by saying he knew nothing about an alleged incident involving Mr Shatter in late February or March 2011.

This was in the period between the general election and Mr Shatter’s appointment as Minister for Justice.

  Mr McGrath had asked whether Mr Gilmore, or the Taoiseach, was aware Mr Shatter was cautioned by a Garda at the checkpoint under the Road Traffic Act 2010, or whether the Gardaí involved had used their discretion.

Mr McGrath asked whether Mr Shatter, who was not present in the Dáil, had been asked to produce a breath specimen under the Act’s mandatory provision, and “whether his behaviour and reaction to this request was appropriate and indeed cordial, or whether he attempted to use the privilege of travelling to and from the Dáil as a means of avoiding giving the breath test’’.

He asked whether Mr Shatter had ultimately given a breath specimen.

Mr Gilmore said he had no idea whether the Minister for Justice was stopped by gardaí before or after the election. “How would I know that ?’’ he asked.

Mr McGrath said he was raising the matter in the context of the penalty points controversy. There must be one law applying to all citizens, he added.

He said that while he did not expect the Tánaiste to know about the incident, he would expect Mr Gilmore and the Taoiseach to inform themselves about it.

Mr Shatter has been under intense pressure over his handling of the controversy surrounding the quashing of fixed charged penalties for road traffic offences. He revealed that Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan had briefed him about Mr Wallace being stopped by a Garda at the Five Lamps in north Dublin while using a phone and driving. Mr Shatter said it had been introduced as an aside and was necessary in case Mr Wallace had revealed it himself. Mr Callinan has not commented on the briefing.

We Irish & the World need to keep up the good fight on taxes

      

The world remains in economic turmoil with no sign of light at the end of the tunnel.

Millions around the world are unemployed and the policies of austerity continue to make matters worse. It should come as no surprise that countries should be trying to find ways of generating more income to make ends meet.

Corporation tax has been a bug bear for a long time for many countries. Looking at ways to garner more funds from that source stands to reason. However, it presents huge challenges.

Our economy has grown on the backs of the hundreds of multinationals we have managed to attract to these shores. These multinationals have not only created employment for thousands but have helped to grow our economy, paying millions in taxes every year.

The vast bulk of these companies have come from the US.

They have established European operations in Ireland not because they like us, but because they can make more money here than elsewhere. They do that through our low corporation taxes.

Our politicians, and those of very many other countries, understand that. Maybe we understand it a little bit better than most and hence our success with FDI attraction. However, most countries, if they wish to attract FDI must and do have policies that are attractive to such companies. Tax reduction is the bottom line.

In essence, attracting such companies to Ireland means jobs for Ireland but reduced tax take somewhere else. Of course, it’s not all one way. While very many US companies have come to Ireland, Irish companies such as CRH and the Kerry Group have established sizeable operations in the US.

While the numbers coming our way are much higher, the US economy is hundreds of times our economy.

Mainland European countries have a considerable advantage on us. The larger countries have a critical mass of people with direct access to hundreds of millions of others. In other words, the market is on their doorstep.

We on the other hand are a small peripheral country with some of the most costly regional access shipping routes in the world. We do not have a critical mass of people that would act as a magnet. Low taxation is a main differentiating factor, coupled with what is still a flexible regulatory environment.

When everyone is busy and taxation comes easy there is minimal focus on what is perceived by some as unfair taxation policies. This is not evasion as had been suggested by politicians in the US and the UK. Tax evasion is illegal. It is tax avoidance, which is legal.

The British are once again jumping up and down about Ireland’s tax regime. The French and Germans have been doing it for some time. The Americans have now started firing salvoes in all directions.

What should not be forgotten about Irish taxation policies is that the laws that allowed for the creation of such policies were passed by politicians. We should not forget either that these policies have been approved by Europe. It’s not as if we tried to slide something by without them seeing it.

Companies should indeed pay their “fair share” of tax but as we well know “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. So what is fair? For instance does TD Richard Boyd Barrett think it’s fair that we should forego the 4,000 jobs created by Apple in Ireland and the millions Apple pays in tax and that its employees pay, as well as the thousands of other jobs created in the wider economy?

That we should be under fire from both Europe and the US is unfortunate. It would appear that we are on a war footing in an effort to protect our main means of attracting vital jobs from attack from both outside and from within.

It is a good fight and we need to keep on top of it.

The time for inactivity on mortgage arrears has long passed – Says Patrick Honohan

  

Central Bank governor hopeful many soured mortages may ‘come back on track’

The time for “passivity” on mortgage arrears in Ireland has long since passed, Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan said today.

Speaking at a conference hosted by UCD and NUI Maynooth in Dublin, Mr Honohan said the persistent rise in cases of prolonged mortgage arrears “undoubtedly presents one of the biggest economic policy challenges of our day”.

“Wait-and-see may have been an appropriate or sufficient initial position to take as the great crisis unfolded, but the time for passivity is long past,” he said. “The longer term welfare of borrowers is at stake here, but so is the welfare of taxpayers and users of public services, given that bank losses affect the Government because of its ownership of banks.”

Mr Honohan said significant numbers of soured mortgages may be able to come “back on track.”

“The triage process needs to start with the question: is this a distressed case, or one in which the borrower does have the capacity to come back on track?’’ Mr Honohan said in a speech in Dublin today.

‘’It is evident that a significant proportion of current arrears cases fall into the latter category.’’

Mr Honohan said splitting mortgages between borrowers and lenders may provide sustainable solutions for ‘’significant numbers.’’

He said the concept removes the threat of imminent bankruptcy and retains the potential for economic recovery to reduce banks’ prospective loan losses.

Where a mortgage is split, banks should consider limiting their recourse on a loan to a fixed share of the property value.

“Such an arrangement serves to enhance the borrower’s stake in continuing to service the new contractual arrangement and could work out better in the long run for both borrower and lender,’’ he said.

Mr Honohan said lenders needed to address the problem of non-performing mortgage debt “more energetically than has been the case in the past”.

Following the introduction of personal insolvency legislation, Mr Honohan said it would be “unwise” for anyone to think that not paying their debts is a matter of choice and he warned that non-cooperative mortgage borrowers “really are at risk of losing their homes”.

He said permanent debt relief was not something that can be offered to all and has to be limited to those who are truly over-indebted to the point of insolvency.

“In particular, despite the fact that households in negative equity do seem to be over-represented among the arrears cases, negative equity is not in itself a viable rationale for providing debt relief,” he said.

International Monetary Fund director Ajai Chopra told the event that Irish banks may receive further capital through the European Stability Mechanism.

Aggression & antisocial behavior linked to Children and passive smoking

  

CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPOSED TO PASSIVE SMOKING MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME ANTISOCIAL AND PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE LATER IN LIFE, A NEW STUDY INDICATES.

According to Canadian researchers, 40% of the world’s children are exposed to secondhand smoke and exposure during early childhood ‘is particularly dangerous as the child’s brain is still developing’.

They analysed data relating to over 2,000 children who were monitored from birth until they were 10 years old. Parents provided information about exposure to passive smoking, while teachers and the children themselves provided information about behaviour in the classroom.

“Previous studies looking at groups of children have generally asked mothers whether they smoked or not, and how much at each follow-up, rather than asking whether someone smoked in the home where young children live and play,” explained Dr Linda Pagani of the University of Montreal.

She also noted that ‘few studies have looked at antisocial behaviour in the parents and even fewer have investigated the subsequent influence of prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke over the long- term’.

The study found that children who had been exposed to passive smoking were more likely to become antisocial or physically aggressive adults. Furthermore, these results stood irrespective of whether they were exposed to smoke while in the womb or whether their parents had a history of being antisocial.

According to the scientists, passive smoking represents the ‘most preventable cause of disease and disability’.

“This study suggests that the postnatal period is important for the prevention of impaired neurobehavioral development and makes the case for the promotion of an unpolluted domestic environment for children,” they added.

Mother cat suckles ducklings & overcomes predatory instincts to nurse the wee ducks

 see you tube video below      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-_wQ7iL19z8

Farm owners spotted feline bringing chicks in her mouth, to care for alongside kittens

This image of a cat suckling ducklings has ruffled the feathers of many an animal expert who simply can’t explain it.

The ‘white cat’ as she is known, normally a sworn enemy in the animal kingdom, has instead opted to care for the young chicks alongside her own kittens.

On the Mooney Goes Wild programme on RTE radio today, Ronan and Emma Lally, residents of a small farm in Clara, Co Offaly, said they made the discovery after suspecting the feline of more sinister intentions.

Several experts confronted with the peculiar pussy cat were unable to offer any explanation.

“We got some duck eggs from a local lady and put them under a broody hen,” Emma told the show.

“Three of the ducklings survived. But then they disappeared and Ronan blamed the cat.”

Later she was spotted with one of the small creatures in her mouth, transporting it to the safety of her litter.

Time to Celebrate & raise awareness about Shelled Reptiles in our world

   

MAY 23 IS WORLD TURTLE DAY, AN ANNUAL EVENT CREATED TO CELEBRATE AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF TURTLE SPECIES AROUND THE WORLD.

“Turtles are not as popular as cats and dogs, so interest, awareness and understanding is pretty slim,” says Susan Tellem, cofounder of American Tortoise Rescue. World Turtle Day was started 13 years ago by the ATR, who have rescued and rehomed over 3,000 turtles since Tellem and her husband founded the organization in 1990.

“This day is a good way to educate people about how to care for turtles, and to learn what danger they’re in and how to be more aware of what they need,” Tellem says.

Endangered and Threatened: According to ATR, turtles and tortoises are threatened by the exotic food trade, habitat destruction, global warming and the pet trade.

Tellem believes the illegal pet trade is significantly harming turtles of all kinds, as demand for turtles in pet stores remains high and continues to exceed demand for turtle adoption. In the illegal pet trade, turtles and tortoises are removed from their natural habitat and transported long distances to be sold, often in unsafe conditions.

“When turtles are transported they get stressed,” says Tellem, which means that often a large percentage of turtles die while being transported from Russia and other countries.

As for marine turtles, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s national sea turtle coordinator Barbara Schroeder says all species are listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered. There are seven sea turtle species worldwide, and six of those are located in U.S. waters.

“While there are some common themes of threats that are significant between terrestrial and sea turtles, in the marine environment, bycatch in fisheries is the major threat around the world,” Schroeder says.

Bycatch, the accidental capture of untargeted species by fishermen, occurs when sea turtles get caught in gear such as gillnets, trawls and longlines. Vessel strikes and habitat destruction around nesting beaches are also contributing to the loss of sea turtles.

Conservation and Success Stories: A wide range of programs across the country are dedicated to turtle conservation, prioritizing research and making sure federal activities don’t jeopardize species.

NOAA is involved in a number of sea turtle–specific conservation efforts such as reduction of bycatch, continued research of marine environments, and the development of recovery plans. Schroeder says the ultimate goal of all these efforts is to remove these species from the endangered species list.

While there is still a long way to go before that happens, conservation efforts have led to some success stories.

“Certainly there are species and regional populations doing much better than they were back in the 1960s and ’70s, when their listings first occurred under the act,” Schroeder says.

One example of this is the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle found on the Gulf Coast. The species was on the edge of extinction in the 1960s, according to Schroeder. It was only through a concentrated effort, which included the species being listed under the Endangered Species Act and decades of binational efforts with Mexico, that the population began to improve.

“They’re not recovered and not off the list, but they are moving in the right direction and their numbers are increasing steadily,” Schroeder says.

How You Can Help? There are a number of ways you can help endangered and threatened turtles.

“The biggest thing people can do to make a difference is not buy turtles from pet stores,” Tellem says. “There are so many available for adoption, there’s no need to buy one and contribute to the demand that feeds the cruel pet trade.” Petfinder offers turtles for adoption, and there are a wide variety of local turtle rescues in all parts of the country.

The ATR also recommends writing letters to legislators asking them to preserve habitats and reporting illegal sales of turtles to your local animal control shelter.

If you come across a turtle in your backyard, Tellem suggests releasing it into the wild if they are native to your area. If they’re not native, soak them in tepid water and place them in a box with a lid. Don’t panic if you find a water turtle and don’t have a pond or other facility to place it in. These turtles can be left out of water for about three to four days. Keep the box away from kids and dogs so the turtle isn’t disturbed and put it in a quiet place. Contact an organization like ATR who can help you find a new home for it and properly care for it in the meantime.

As for sea turtles, you can help them with acts as simple as not leaving trash on the beach and keeping an eye out for them if you boat in areas where they live. If you are near nesting beaches, follow lighting restrictions so you don’t disorient hatchlings, and refrain from spending time on the beach in areas where you can disturb them.

“What everybody can do is be aware of environmental legislation and requirements that may be proposed by federal or state governments to protect species,” Schroeder said. “Connect with environmental organizations working to preserve turtles. They always know what’s coming up and going on.”