🔗 Share this article

The green turtle has been effectively saved from the brink of extinction in what scientists are labeling a important protection success.

Historically hunted extensively for traditional dishes, its young as a luxury food and decorative shells, the ancient mariner saw its population drop sharply and has been listed as threatened since the last century.

Currently, thanks to long periods of international conservation efforts - from protecting young and freeing young turtles on coastlines to reducing unintended trapping in commercial nets - updated statistics shows sea reptile numbers are recovering.

Conservation Actions Produce Positive Results

The species are some of the biggest varieties of ocean reptiles, called for the green-colored color of their tissue fat, which stems from their plant-based diet.

They are part of multiple surviving types of sea turtles, two of them are severely threatened.

"Ocean reptiles are symbolic and attractive animals... they motivate the public," he commented. "Hundreds of thousands of individuals have been striving for decades to work to conserve these creatures, and certainly, it has made a difference."

The conservation efforts encompass patrolling coastlines, securing female turtles and their young at reproduction areas, freeing young into the sea, education and awareness to reduce the species being harvested for food and eggs, and employing measures to prevent these reptiles being trapped in marine equipment.

Revised Endangered Animals Inventory

The most recent Red List of endangered animals was disclosed at a significant global protection congress.

The unenviable inventory now contains numerous types, of which nearly 49,000 are at risk with extinction.

Species are transferred between classifications when updated information shows changes in their individuals, living space or risks.

If a animal becomes more threatened - for instance, its individuals fall or its living space is damaged - it may be transferred to a more threatened group such as At-Risk; if it recovers thanks to conservation efforts, it may transition to a less threatened group like Less Concern or Least Concern.

Continuing Challenges

The marine turtle has been downgraded from At-Risk to Least Concern. However, despite present recovery, the species are still significantly under their previous population due to previous excessive hunting and continuing threats like commercial fishing, living space reduction and global warming.

In places like particular zones, reduced baby turtles are emerging, showing that protection measures are still urgently needed.

Other Creatures Encounter Rising Risks

The revision to the endangered inventory brought bad news for additional creatures, including northern marine mammals, which are advancing nearer to disappearance as frozen water is lost to environmental shifts.

The Arctic species has shifted from Threatened to Highly At-Risk, while the bearded and harp seals are now Near Threatened due to shrinking sea ice.

Polar seals rely on frozen water for breeding, sleeping and eating, and its loss puts their continuation at risk.