In a Wednesday decision that could spell more stringent restrictions on fishing and other maritime trades, the Obama administration has recommended listing of seven populations of loggerhead turtles in US waters as ‘endangered.’

The decision to move up the listing of the loggerhead turtles from ‘threatened’ to ‘endangered,’ – which turtle protection groups feel is long overdue, as the species has been listed as threatened since 1978 – comes after a review of the state of the species by federal scientists.

The fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Fish and Wildlife Service jointly proposed the new designation for loggerhead turtles, with researchers noting that loggerheads face injury and death risks from fishing gear.

Citing the notable fall in the population of loggerheads, the Caribbean Conservation Corporation’s director David Godfrey said in a statement: “Overwhelming evidence points to accidental capture in fishing lines, hooks, nets and dredges as the main culprit in these declines.”

The new loggerhead designation proposal, which has now entered a public comment period, will – if approved – bring an ‘endangered species’ listing for the loggerhead turtles by summer next year.

Meanwhile, Shaun Gehan, an attorney for the Fisheries Survival Fund, said that there is no evidence that the loggerheads are facing extinction. Gehan further added that the approval of the proposal would affect fishermen, maritime traffic, coastal development, and waterfront use.