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Pregnant diamondback terrapins were crushed by the thousands on coastal roads - for decades - before southern New Jersey developed any kind of environmental consciousness about the annual turtle slaughter a few short years ago.

The turtles come up out of the marshes this time of year, seeking high ground to lay their eggs. The good news is that many people driving on the causeways between the barrier islands and the mainland now stop to help the terrapins cross the roads.

You have to wonder how we all ignored this slaughter for so long - but we did.

The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor deserves much of the credit for raising the region's turtle consciousness. The institute tracks turtle road-kill deaths and even rescues the eggs from crushed turtles and tries to hatch them (with about a 50 percent success rate).

But the bad news is that turtle deaths seem to be increasing for the second year in a row. Last year, the Wetlands Institute counted 575 terrapins killed by vehicles, the highest number since the year 2000. (And trust us, the institute's counters find only a fraction of the crushed turtles.) This year, about halfway through the egg-laying season, 269 crushed turtles have been found on the 40 miles of roads patrolled by the institute.

There is, however, a relatively cheap, easy way to drastically cut this death toll - plastic fencing that keeps the turtles from wandering on to the roads.

The Wetlands Institute has partnered with various groups to install fencing along the Margate Causeway and Avalon and Stone Harbor boulevards - and turtle deaths are down in those specific areas.

So many environmental issues are complicated and expensive to remedy. But this one can be mitigated with some cheap plastic fencing, wood stakes and plastic zip ties. And anyone can do it.

Several Boy Scout troops in the region have helped put up the fences, including Troop 634 in Galloway Township and Troop 275 from Margate and Ventnor. Kline Construction of Brigantine also helped on the Margate Causeway by digging the shallow trenches for the stakes.

But the next step, it seems to us, is to get this fencing installed on both sides of every causeway between the beaches and the mainland.

Why not? It's cheap. Relatively easy to do. And it requires little expertise to install the fencing. Every local coastal government, every local environmental group and every local service organization should be pitching in to help build these fences wherever they are needed. It would make a great annual Earth Day project (and by doing it in late April, you can avoid the summer's bugs).

So, southern New Jersey: Do we really care about saving these diamondback terrapins? If so, for once, the solution isn't all that difficult.

2 comments:

• beachgirl (44) posts 9:53 pm

  I am happy this made the news. i drive on RT 30, on the ' causeway" to and from AC. There are always dead turtles or turtles waiting to be run over. No one seems to care, except me. Stopping to help a turtle would be a death sentence. In the Forsythe Refuge last week, I observed the wildlife ( NJ State) person taking time to cover the spots where the turtles had laid eggs , with a plastic fence of sort. It looked to protect the eggs from birds and other predators as well as marking it out so cars wouldnt run over it. turtles were trying to lay their eggs all ov er the place. Here again , people have encroached upon wild life, we are taking up their space, so we need to be better caretakers! Rt 30 has a wall barrier with no place for these turtles to cross the road even if they are lucky enough to get across, its a true death trap for them. Fences should be installed to stop this slaughter, maybe they will go to another area to lay their eggs.

• Siochain (18) posts 9:45 am

  The best solution: Slow down and BRAKE for the turtles. REDUCE and ENFORCE the SPEED LIMIT. Why litter our marshes with PLASTIC ties, fencing, etc? Wouldn't fencing keep the turtles from their destination to lay their eggs? How is preventing them from reaching higher areas helping the turtles? Keep our environment natural. NO PLASTICS. SLOW DOWN and BRAKE for the TURTLES. Also, please advise the public...the turtles are also on other local roads, not just the causeways. Watch for turtles and all wildlife. Be kind. Beannacht.

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