Green turtle bounces back from brink in conservation ‘win’

A green turtle has been brought back from the brink of extinction in what scientists are calling a major conservation victory.

Once heavily hunted for turtle soup, its eggs as a delicacy, and its ornamental shells, this ancient mariner fell sharply in numbers and has been listed as endangered since the 1980s.

Now, thanks to decades of global conservation efforts—from protecting eggs and releasing hatchlings on beaches to reducing accidental catches in fishing nets—new data shows that the green turtle population is recovering.

“We must use this victory as a catalyst to achieve many other victories,” said Dr. Nicholas Pilcher of the Marine Research Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Sabah, Malaysia.

Green turtles are one of the largest species of sea turtles, named for the greenish color of the fatty tissue produced by their plant-based diet.

It is one of seven living species of sea turtles, two of which are critically endangered.

Professor Brendan Godley, a conservationist at the University of Exeter, said green turtle populations in many parts of the world were showing signs of recovery thanks to conservation over the past five decades, and while this work must continue for years to come, there was cause for optimism.

“Sea turtles are iconic and charismatic species… they inspire people,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands of people have tried to care for these creatures for decades, and it has undoubtedly had an impact.”

Conservation efforts include patrolling beaches, protecting females and their eggs at nesting sites, releasing hatchlings into the sea, educating and raising awareness about reducing the killing of turtles for meat and eggs, and taking measures to prevent turtles from being caught in fishing nets.

The latest Red List of Threatened Species was presented at the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) World Congress in Abu Dhabi.

The unenviable list now includes 172,620 species, of which 48,646 are threatened with extinction.

Species move between categories when new data shows changes in their population, habitat, or threats.

If a species is at greater risk (for example, its numbers are declining or its habitat is damaged), it may be moved to a higher risk category, such as Endangered; if it recovers through conservation efforts, it may move to a lower risk category, such as endangered or least concern.

The green turtle has been downgraded from Endangered to Least Concern. However, despite recent gains, green turtle numbers are still far below their historical numbers due to past overexploitation and ongoing threats such as fishing, habitat loss and climate change.

In places like Raine Island in Australia, fewer baby turtles are hatching, indicating that conservation efforts are still needed.

The update to the endangered list brought bad news for other species, including Arctic seals, which are moving closer to extinction as sea ice disappears due to climate change.

The hooded seal has moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, and the bearded seal and harp seal are now endangered due to declining sea ice.

Arctic seals depend on sea ice for breeding, resting and feeding, and its loss threatens their survival.