Green Turtle Global Recovery is Conservation Success

The green turtle has been rescued from the brink of extinction in what scientists are calling a major conservation victory.

Back from the brink

Once hunted extensively for turtle soup, its eggs as a delicacy and decorative shells, the ancient mariner saw its numbers plummet 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 capture in fishing nets - new data shows green turtle populations are rebounding.

"We must use this win as a catalyst to achieve numerous other wins," said Dr Nicolas Pilcher of the Marine Research Foundation, a non-profit based in Sabah, Malaysia.

Green turtles are one of the largest species of sea turtles, named for the greenish colour of their body fat, which comes from their plant-based diet. They are one of seven living species of sea turtles.

Prof Brendan Godley, a conservation scientist at the University of Exeter, says: "Sea turtles are iconic and charismatic species... they inspire people," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of people have been working for decades to try and look after these creatures, and undoubtedly, it has had an impact."

The conservation efforts include patrolling beaches, protecting females and their eggs at nesting sites, releasing hatchlings into the sea, education and awareness to reduce turtles being killed for meat and eggs, and using measures to stop turtles being captured in fishing nets.

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