Threats
Main threats:
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Habitat loss
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Wildlife trade
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Collection of eggs and meat for consumption
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Incidental capture (bycatch)
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Climate change
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Pollution
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Green sea turtles are often hunted for their meat, more so than loggerheads, hawksbills, or leatherbacks. It is estimated that there are 30,000 green turtles that are poached each year in Baja California alone. particularly sought for their meat.
Researchers estimate that each year poachers take 30,000 green turtles in Baja California alone. In many costal communities, especially in Central America and Asia, sea turtle meat and eggs are considered a food source. There are other countries that consider the eggs an aphrodiasaic. International trade in products such as green turtle calipee (the fatty, gelatinous light-yellow substance found immediately over the lower shell of a turtle and a delicacy) has only exacerbated the directed take of marine turtles.
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An additonal factor that affects green sea turtles is disease. On some Hawaiian Islands, nearly 70% of green turtles are affected by fibropapillomas, a fatal tumorous disease that affects marine turtles. The cause of the tumours has not yet been discovered, but it has been suggested that the occurrence of fibropapillomas may be the result of run-off from land/marine pollution that may causes a weakening in the turtles' immune systems, leaving them more susceptible to infections that cause fibropapillomas.
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Researches estimate that 4,600 sea turtles currently perish each year in U.S. coastal waters due to bycatch. Bycatch is the accidental capture and injury of marine animals in fishing gear that are not the target catch species. Sea turtles need to reach the surface in order to breathe, and drown when caught in stray nets. There has been a 90% reduction in bycatch within the last 20 years due to new conservation efforts between fisheries.
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Sea turtles are dependent on beaches for nesting and reproduction. If there are occurrences of uncontrolled coastal development, vehicle traffic on beaches, or other human activities, they can directly destroy or disturb sea turtle nesting beaches. Green turtle feeding grounds such as seagrass beds are also at risk from coastal development onshore, which leads to pollution and sedimentation in the nearby waters.
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Other threats include ingestion of marine debris, boat strikes, coastal development, feeding habitat degradation, and incidental capture in fishing gear. Newly hatched sea turtles are also at risk of being hunted by animals such as birds, crabs, and dogs as they move from their nests out to the sea.
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http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/green_turtle/
http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=harvest
http://www.seeturtles.org/illegal-poaching/
​http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/green-sea-turtle/#green-sea-turtle-coral.jpg
Conservation Efforts
International laws and agreements, research, and the work of dedicated organizations and individuals each play a part in the conservation of green sea turtles. Long-term protection of the species means developing solutions that human reliance- if sea turtles can not survive and reproduce on their own (without help from humans) then they are unlikely to continue to exist. Feeding and nesting grounds should be protected, and a public wildlife conservation ethics should be encouraged that can withstand discrepencies in government regulations, pressure from private interests, or changes in the political climate.
National Laws
Sea turtles are given legal protection in the United States and its waters under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which lists the hawksbill, leatherback, Kemp's ridley and green turtle as endangered. The loggerhead is listed as threatened. This classification makes it illegal to harm, harass or kill any sea turtles, hatchlings or their eggs. It is also illegal to import, sell, or transport turtles or their products. The Marine Fisheries Service has jurisdiction over sea turtles in the water, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for them on land in the U.S. Other countries have their own conservation laws and regulations that apply to sea turtles.
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State and Local Protection
In many states where sea turtles nest, there have been state laws passed to protect the species, and these laws meet or exceed the requirements of the ESA. There are local governments that have passed regulations to eliminate or control artificial beachfront lighting, to prevent disorientation during mating, breeding, and hatching of young turtles.
Immediate Conservation Goals
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Lessen illegal international trade in sea turtles and their products by enforcing laws and agreements.
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Decrease the turtle deaths caused by commercial fishing.
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Protect nesting beaches by establishing parks and refuges or through regulations combined with public education initiatives.
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Reduce bycatch of green sea turtles with use of fishing gear modifications (i.e. use of TED’s or turtle exclusion devices), changes to fishing practices and closures of certain areas to fishing during nesting and hatching seasons.
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Eliminate disturbances at nesting beaches by decreasing artificial lighting along beach nesting and limiting the impacts of people on the beach.
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Enforce national and international laws to minimize the dumping of pollutants and solid waste into the ocean and nearshore waters.
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Continue research and monitoring activities so that the population can be monitored and conservation efforts can be focused where they are most needed.
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Increase public awareness and community participation in sea turtle conservation through educational program
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http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=conservation
