Sea Turtle Welfare: Threats and Conservation

All seven sea turtle species are threatened, facing welfare harms from bycatch, plastic ingestion, coastal development, and climate change affecting nesting beaches.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are classified as vulnerable to critically endangered
An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing gear annually
Plastic bags are mistaken for jellyfish; ingestion causes internal obstruction and death
Climate change is feminising sea turtle populations as warmer sand produces more females
Sea turtle nesting beaches are being lost to coastal development worldwide

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles caught in fishing gear drown if unable to surface; death can take several minutes of struggling. Plastic ingestion causes progressive gut obstruction, false satiety, and chronic malnutrition. Hatchlings disoriented by artificial lights on nesting beaches crawl toward roads rather than the sea, dying from exhaustion or predation. Individuals can live 80+ years, meaning each death represents enormous potential life lost. Conservation interventions include turtle excluder devices, beach lighting management, and plastic reduction.

What You Can Do

Eliminate single-use plastic bags and other items that enter the ocean
Support WWF and Sea Turtle Conservancy campaigns and conservation programmes
Choose seafood certified to schemes requiring turtle-excluding fishing gear
If visiting nesting beaches, follow guidelines to avoid disturbing nesting females and hatchlings
Advocate for turtle excluder devices on all trawl fisheries operating in sea turtle habitat