Global Wildlife

Sea Turtle Conservation and Plastic Pollution

All seven sea turtle species are threatened by plastic pollution, bycatch in fishing gear, egg harvesting, and climate change affecting beach temperatures that determine hatchling sex ratios.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered
Plastic bags are mistaken for jellyfish and cause gut obstruction and starvation
Fishing gear bycatch kills hundreds of thousands of turtles annually
Warmer sand temperatures produce more female hatchlings - climate change is feminising populations
Some sea turtle nesting beaches are over 95% female hatchlings due to warming

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle welfare encompasses the suffering of individuals entangled in fishing gear, the ingestion of plastics, and the existential threat of climate change altering sex ratios. Turtle excluder devices in trawl nets significantly reduce bycatch mortality.

What You Can Do

Reduce plastic use to protect sea turtles from ingestion and entanglement
Support turtle conservation organisations like Caribbean Conservation Corporation
Advocate for mandatory turtle excluder devices in commercial fishing fleets