A $500.00 reward is being offered by Richie Moretti for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person(s) illegally poaching sea turtles in the Keys. Although such an occurrence is increasingly rare, an adult Loggerhead sea turtle was found butchered on July 21^st, 2009, in the wooded area west of Sombrero Beach Road. The animal’s shell was wrapped in a sheet while the skull and remaining flippers sat a few feet away. Although the Keys were known for hunting sea turtle many decades ago, the practice has been outlawed since 1973. Anyone with information on the illegal slaughter of this Loggerhead or any federally protected sea turtle should contact (305)743-2552.

For more on this story check out the Marathon Free Press, page 5:  http://pdf.keysnews.com/weeklys/marathon.pdf