TURTLE ISLAND RESTORATION NETWORK (TIRN)

We aim to raise awareness about the vital balance between life in oceans and on land. This is a critical step toward changing people's understanding, attitudes and behaviors with regard to biodiversity. We work to inspire people will recognize their responsibility to advocate on behalf of sea turtles, salmon and other marine species that are gravely threatened by commercial, cultural and individual human practices around the world.

Ultimately, our goal is to recover populations of endangered marine wildlife including sea turtles, dolphins, whales, sharks and wild salmon, and to protect the habitats that they need to survive.

We use grassroots action, science, policy and litigation to make this happen. We empower people in communities near and far with the knowledge, capacity and power to protect and preserve marine species through direct participation as active, informed and vocal advocates.

As a leading force for the protection and recovery of sea turtles and a wide array of marine wildlife since 1989, Turtle Island Restoration Network has demonstrated the effectiveness, persistence and long-term commitment necessary to help endangered marine wildlife species recover. Our executive director is a leader in marine conservation, and each member of our team brings deep skills in conservation, advocacy and education. Our board leadership contributes their experience in law, marine science, community leadership and education, as well as providing financial support and serving as ambassadors. The work to regenerate these vulnerable species must span decades, and Turtle Island has demonstrated our commitment to carry this out. We have diverse funding streams for our programs that help ensure organizational health. We have received the top, 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator based on financial effectiveness and transparency.

Saving Species
- Shut down a Mexican sea turtle slaughterhouse to save 50,000 sea turtles annually and convinced Mexico to end all legal slaughter of turtles. Convinced Mexico to join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- Forced Japan to end its illegal trade in endangered sea turtle parts of luxury items.
- Rescued 15,000 coho and steelhead trout from certain death since 1990.
- Stopped BP from burning endangered Kemp's ridleys, other sea turtles and marine wildlife during oil spill cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Transformed a salmon-blocking dam into a series of salmon jump-pools with other nonprofits, businesses and individuals.
- Mobilized the public to prevent a proposal to re-open the hunting of Hawaii's iconic green sea turtle.
- Began and supported nesting beach programs in Central America that prevented egg poaching resulting in more than 1 million additional sea turtle hatchlings.
Changing Laws and Policies
- Compelled 20 nations to adopt rules that make shrimp nets safer for sea turtles by requiring Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs).
- Closed down 250,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean to the Hawaii longline swordfish fishery and the California driftnet fishery to protect sea turtles and marine mammals.
- Closed California longline fishery to prevent leatherback mortality.
- Compelled first federal “hard caps" for incidental turtle capture. As a result, the Hawaii longline fishery must close for season after cap is reached.
- Convinced then-Texas Governor George W. Bush to establish a 100-mile long time-area shrimping closure in South Texas near prime turtle nesting beaches.

Hands-on Conservation
- Restored over 100,000 square feet of crucial creekside habitat for wild coho salmon through native plantings, bank stabilization, and floodplain restoration.
- Tagged 150 sharks with acoustic telemetry and 72 green and two hawksbill turtles to collect data to win an international migratory swimway in the Pacific.
- Grew more than 50,000 native plants in our two community-based nurseries to provide better habitat for endangered coho salmon.