Sea Turtle Welfare: Nesting, Bycatch, and Climate Threats

All seven sea turtle species are threatened and face welfare challenges from bycatch, pollution, and climate change.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered on the IUCN Red List
Thousands of sea turtles are killed annually as bycatch in longline fisheries
Plastic ingestion is a significant welfare problem as turtles mistake bags and packaging for jellyfish
Climate change is affecting sea turtle sex ratios as nest temperature determines sex
Fibropapillomatosis disease causes debilitating tumours in green turtles

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles face welfare challenges across their entire life cycle. Bycatch in longlines and trawls causes drowning and injuries. Plastic ingestion causes intestinal blockages, buoyancy disorders, and starvation. Oil spills cause eye, respiratory, and skin damage. Boat strikes are a significant cause of injury particularly in warm coastal waters. Fibropapillomatosis affects compromised animals causing tumours that impair vision and movement. Nesting females are harassed by tourism on some beaches.

What You Can Do

Support Sea Turtle Conservancy and WWF sea turtle protection projects
Reduce single-use plastic use to reduce marine plastic pollution harming turtles
Choose seafood from fisheries using turtle excluder devices in trawls
Advocate for responsible tourism practices on sea turtle nesting beaches
Support beach clean initiatives that remove plastic threatening sea turtles