🐢 Sea turtles increasing in numbers

• New research shows that sea turtle populations are increasing at 28 sites globally, while only five show declines.
• On Sal Island off the northwest coast of Africa, the number of loggerhead nests has increased from 500 in 2008 to 35,000 in 2020.
• Conservation measures since the 1970s have transformed humans from hunters to protectors of these marine reptiles.

Surprising recovery documented in global study

Sea turtles have long been used as symbols of environmental destruction – their images with plastic bags or straws in their noses have become common in environmental reports. But contrary to what many believe, new research shows that these marine reptiles are actually increasing in numbers in many places around the world, reports Bloomberg.

Professor Graeme Hays from Deakin University in Melbourne, together with other researchers, has compiled 61 datasets from nesting sites globally. The results show a positive trend: 28 sites show increasing populations, while only five show declines.

Dramatic increases at specific locations

The numbers from certain areas are remarkable. On Sal Island off the northwest coast of Africa, the number of loggerhead nests has increased from 500 in 2008 to 35,000 in 2020 – a 70-fold increase. In Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean, a drone study in 2021 discovered the highest densities of hawksbill turtles in the world.

In the Gulf of Mexico, the Kemp's ridley turtle, considered the most endangered sea turtle, has increased from 702 nests in 1985 to 17,000 nests in 2022. Another analysis from 2023 discovered up to 150,000 green turtle nests on three uninhabited reefs in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

Conservation measures behind the success

Several factors explain this recovery. Historically, turtle soup was a coveted delicacy in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries, leading to the animals being hunted close to extinction. But today, consumption of turtle meat is rare in most parts of the world.

Since conservation work took off in the 1970s, humans have in many cases transformed from hunters to protectors. A treaty from 1975 banning trade in endangered species stopped the global trade in meat, shells, and leather from turtles.

Hundreds of thousands of volunteers work each year on beaches across six continents to count nests and tracks that females and hatchlings leave in the sand. Local regulations prohibit nighttime lighting near rookeries, which can confuse hatchlings who navigate to the waves by following moonlight. Shrimp nets in many parts of the world must have special devices that allow reptiles to escape unharmed.

Nature's ability to recover

The positive development of sea turtles shows that when we stop damaging ecosystems, recovery can be remarkably quick. While our ability to harm the planet is big, nature's ability to heal itself is also significant.

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