BILL ANALYSIS �
Bill No: AB
1776
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
AB 1776 Author: Fong
As Amended: March 22, 2012
Hearing Date: June 12, 2012
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle
DESCRIPTION
AB 1776 designates the Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle as
the official marine reptile of the State of California and
establishes October 15 as Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle
Conservation Day. Specifically, this measure:
1.Designates the Pacific leatherback sea turtle as the
official marine reptile of the State of California.
2.Declares that October 15, 2013, and every October 15
thereafter shall be designated as Pacific Leatherback Sea
Turtle Conservation Day and encourages public schools to
incorporate Pacific leatherback sea turtles into their
teaching lessons and curriculum whenever possible.
3.Encourages voluntary participation efforts among public
and nongovernmental entities and other specified
stakeholders in order to increase awareness and
conservation of this critically endangered species.
4.Urges state and federal agencies to take proactive
conservation measures to help prevent further threats to
Pacific leatherback sea turtles and their habitats.
EXISTING LAW
Existing law designates the following as official state
insignia:
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State Flower - "Golden Poppy" (Added by Stats.1903, c.
69)
State Bird - "California Valley Quail" (Added by
Stats.1931, c. 777)
State Tree - "California Redwood" includes both the
coast redwood (Sequoia empervirens) and the Sierra big
tree (Sequoia gigantea) - (Added by Stats.1943, c. 134;
Amended by Stats.1953, c. 1140)
State Theatre - "Pasadena Playhouse" (Added by
Stats.1937, Res. Chapter 45)
State Fish - "California Golden Trout" (Added by
Stats.1947, Res. Chapter 90)
State Song - "I Love You California" (Added by
Stats.1951, Res. Chapter 87)
State Animal - "California Grizzly" (Added by
Stats.1953, c. 1140)
State Motto - "Eureka" (Added by Stats.1963, c. 1237)
State Rock - "Serpentine" (Added by Stats.1965, c. 89)
State Mineral - "Native Gold" (Added by Stats.1965, c.
89)
State Nickname - "Golden State" (Added by Stats.1968,
c. 66)
State Reptile - "Desert Tortoise" (Added by Stats.1972,
c. 683)
State Insect - "California Dogface Butterfly" (Added by
Stats.1972, c. 521)
State Fossil - "Sabre-Tooth Cat" (Added by Stats.1973,
c. 792)
State Historical Society - "California Historical
Society" (Added by Stats.1979, c. 52)
State Marine Mammal - "California Gray Whale" (Added by
Stats.1975, c. 328)
State Gemstone - "Benitoite" (Added by Stats.1985, c.
1365)
State Folk Dance - "Square Dance" (Added by Stats.1988,
c. 1645)
State Dance - "West Coast Swing" (Added by Stats.1988,
c. 1645)
State Prehistoric Artifact - "Chipped Stone Bear"
(Added by Stats.1991, c. 73)
State Marine Fish - "Garibaldi" (Added by Stats.1995,
c. 948)
State Soil - "San Joaquin Soil" (Added by Stats.1997,
c. 331)
State Fife and Drum Band - "California Consolidated
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Drum Band" (Added by Stats.1997, c. 58)
State Tartan - "Based on the family tartan of the
revered John Muir" (blue and green with red, gold, and
blue seams) - (Added by Stats.2001, c. 100)
State Gold Rush Ghost Town - "Town of Bodie" (Added by
Stats.2002, c. 365)
State Tall Ship - "Californian" (Added by Stats.2003,
c. 113)
State Grass - "Nassella Pulchra" - commonly referred to
as "purple needlegrass" (Added by Stats. 2004, c. 243)
State Silver Rush Ghost Town - "Calico" (Added by
Stats.2005, c. 90)
Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim various days
as holidays and days of remembrance, including:
The third Monday in January, as "Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day."
February 12th, as "Lincoln Day."
February 19th, as "Japanese American Evacuation Day."
March 7th, as "Arbor Day."
March 31st, as "Caesar Chavez Day."
April 21st, as "John Muir Day."
September 28th, as "Cabrillo Day."
The fourth Friday in September, as "Native American
Day."
December 7th, as "Pearl Harbor Day."
The third Saturday in June, as "Juneteenth National
Freedom Day."
April 24th, as "California Day of Remembrance of the
Armenian Genocide."
The month of February, as "Black History Month."
Existing law, since 1970, lists the Pacific leatherback sea
turtle as endangered, under the federal endangered species
act. Existing law bans, effective January 1, 1990, all
longline fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (200
nautical miles seaward from the coast) to prevent deaths of
sea turtles.
BACKGROUND
Summary of Findings: There are 4 types of marine reptiles
including sea turtles, water snakes, alligators, and
crocodiles. Of those, California waters are only inhabited
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by 1 species of water snake and 7 species of sea turtles.
The yellow-bellied sea snake is one of the most common sea
snakes and is found from southern California to Northern
South America. The 7 species of sea turtles include Green,
Kemps ridley, Olive ridley, Hawksbill, Leatherback,
Flatback, and Loggerhead.
Of the sea turtles, the leatherback is unique in that it
has existed virtually unchanged for more than 100 million
years. The turtles can live for over 30 years and during
their lifetime they make countless 6,000 mile trips from
their nesting beaches in Indonesia to the U.S. West Coast
to feed on jellyfish. In pursuit of this prey, leatherbacks
dive more than 2,000 feet below the ocean surface. Adult
leatherbacks can grow to over 8 feet long and weigh up to
2,000 pounds.
The California coast is one of the most important feeding
areas in the world for the Pacific leatherback sea turtles
and these sea turtles are beneficial to the marine
ecosystem because they prey on various species of
jellyfish. In fact, a leatherback can effortlessly devour
230 pounds of jellyfish in just an hour. Jellyfish prey on
fish eggs and if their populations went unchecked by the
leatherbacks, valuable fish populations in the Pacific
might drop and impact the balance in the ocean's
biodiversity.
The Pacific leatherback sea turtle population has declined
90% in the past 25 years. The major threats to survival
include egg harvesting for human consumption, certain
fishing practices, habitat loss, pollution, and climate
change. The Pacific leatherback sea turtle has been on the
endangered species list since 1970. On February 26, 2012,
the National Marine Fisheries Service designated 16,910
square miles of the California coastal waters from Point
Arena in Mendocino County to Point Arguello in Santa
Barbara County, as critical habitat for the Pacific
leatherback sea turtle.
Purpose of AB 1776: According to the author's office, the
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources currently has the leatherback listed as
"critically endangered" on its list of threatened species.
By some estimates, these ancient and majestic animals will
be extinct in as little as ten years if nothing is done to
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bring awareness to the leatherbacks' situation. The
author's office believes that the people of California can
play an integral role in solving this problem by
designating the Pacific leatherback sea turtle as the State
Marine Reptile. Such designation will help acknowledge the
importance of the species to the people of California and
bring immediate recognition to the danger the turtles are
facing. The author's office emphasizes that this measure
will go a long way in helping preserve these majestic
creatures for the benefit of California's residents for
years to come.
Arguments in Support: Proponents contend that AB 1776 will
provide an educational platform for Californian school
children and adults to learn and appreciate the
leatherback, while engraining the importance of this
ancient species into state law. Proponents point out that
both Florida and South Carolina have designated the
loggerhead sea turtle as symbols, though no U.S. state has
chosen the leatherback sea turtle. Proponents argue that
leatherbacks are unique in that they are the only surviving
member of their scientific family - Dermochelyidae.
Proponents also note that "the ocean is a huge part of our
identity as Californians and our choice of iconic, symbolic
species should reflect our ocean connection and
uniqueness."
RELATED/PRIOR LEGISLATION
AJR 62 (Leno) Chapter 100, Statutes of 2008. Requested the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to delay
consideration of, or deny, the swordfish longline exempted
fishing permit for a specified period of time and requested
the NMFS to defer consideration of efforts to introduce
shallow-set longline fishing off the California coast for
that specified period of time. Also, made declarations
acknowledging the decline of west coast sea turtles and
efforts to preserve and recover Pacific leatherback
populations.
SUPPORT: As of June 8, 2012:
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO;
Asian Pacific American Ocean Harmony Alliance
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Aquarium of the Bay
Audubon California
Azul
California Coastal Commission
California Coastkeeper Alliance
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education
Clean Oceans Project
Environment California
Food and Water Watch
Friends of the Sea Otter
Greenpeace USA
Humane Society of the United States
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Ocean Conservation Society
Ocean Institute
Oceana
O'Neill Sea Odyssey
PawPac
Sanctuary Cruises
San Francisco Commission on the Environment
Save Our Shores
Save the Turtles, Inc.
Sea Turtle Restoration Project
Sierra Club California
Turtle Island Restoration Network
And, Approximately 5,000 private individuals throughout
California
OPPOSE: None on file as of June 8, 2012.
FISCAL COMMITTEE: No.