NY To Protect Hudson Valley, Sound Shore Turtles

A turtle species native to the Hudson Valley and Long Island Sound, the diamondback terrapin, will be protected from commercial harvesting in the state starting in 2018. New York is the last state to do so along the East Coast, where the population has been in decline.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday that it is adding the species to the list of native turtles with no open season.

The closure on harvest will go into effect after the next harvest season, beginning May 1, 2018.

“Diamondback terrapins depend upon a steady diet of mollusks and crustaceans, making them an excellent indicator for the health of New York’s estuarine habitats,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “If diamondback terrapins are doing well in a bay, you know you have a healthy population of blue mussels, clams, and blue crabs, too. Closing the hunting season is an important step in the conservation of diamondback terrapin populations in New York.”

Diamondback terrapins are a turtle species that live in brackish waters associated with the lower Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Peconic Bay, and the coastal embayments along the south shore of Long Island.

The diamondback terrapin was identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the 2015 New York State Wildlife Action Plan due to documented threats from habitat loss, nest predation, and incidental capture. The turtles are sometimes accidentally trapped in crab pots and other commercial fishing gear.

Populations of diamondback terrapins plummeted in the early 20th century due to unregulated harvest for turtle soup. After a rebound throughout most of the last century, new declines in diamondback terrapin populations along the Atlantic Coast led to the closure of commercial harvest in all states in the terrapin’s range with the exception of New York.

The current action closes commercial harvest of terrapins throughout their range. In addition to closing New York’s open season, the diamondback terrapin has been added to the list of native turtles to protect all life stages of the species from being collected from the wild. DEC will continue to evaluate and pursue additional actions to improve the status of the diamondback terrapin populations in New York.

The final diamondback terrapin season will close April 30, 2018, with licenses expiring May 4, 2018.

Information on the life history of the diamondback terrapin may be found here.

The Regulatory Impact Statement for the revision to the regulation may be viewed here and the Notice of Adoption for the revised regulation can be viewed in the New York State Register.

Where to Watch:

They can be found in brackish waters of coastal salt marshes, tidal creeks, estuaries, bays and coves.
They sometimes bask in the sun along creek banks at low tide or float motionless some distance from shore with just their head above the surface. Females can be found on beaches and in sand dunes when nesting.

When to Watch:

From late May until early July check on the beaches for nesting females that retreat from the water to lay their eggs. If you spot one, make sure to keep some distance between you and the turtle, because if disturbed the turtle will abandon her nest.

Photo: Michael Unold via NYDEC

Map: NY Department of Environmental Conservation

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