Endangered Statistics
Leatherback turtles are critically endangered right now according to WWF. Eventhough their habitats are all around the open oceans, they are still critically endangered. There are some reasons why they are becoming extinct.
1. Fisheries bycatch
Leatherback turtles sometimes accidentally get trapped by fishing nets. Since they must come up to the surface to breathe, this is a really big threat to leatherback turtles because if they get trapped by fishing nets they will just drown with it and die because they couldn't breathe. People attempts to rescue Leatherback turtles when they are trapped, however if fishing expands, it will be more threats for leatherback turtle.
2. Overharvesting and illegal trade
Because in some parts of the world like southeast Asia, where egg collection is popular, people would just go to leatherback turtle's nesting sites and take their eggs from their nest. This is a serious threat towards leatherback turtle because even they reproduce and lay eggs, people would just take all of them and use them for their own satisfaction. Even though now people strictly prohibit egg collection, it's still going on somewhere in the world, and it's a serious threat towards leatherback turtle.
3. Habitat loss
Because of industrialization and human footage and activities, leatherback turtles started to lose their habitats. Coral reefs and sea grass beds are also destroyed by human activity- which is nutrient run-off from agriculture.
4. Human activity
Because people throw trashes into ocean such as paper of plastic bag, sometimes leatherback turtles would just think as a jelly fish and eat it. However since it's a plastic bag, they will choke themselves and die. People should not throw trash away into ocean because it might trigger whole extinction of leatherback turtle
1. Fisheries bycatch
Leatherback turtles sometimes accidentally get trapped by fishing nets. Since they must come up to the surface to breathe, this is a really big threat to leatherback turtles because if they get trapped by fishing nets they will just drown with it and die because they couldn't breathe. People attempts to rescue Leatherback turtles when they are trapped, however if fishing expands, it will be more threats for leatherback turtle.
2. Overharvesting and illegal trade
Because in some parts of the world like southeast Asia, where egg collection is popular, people would just go to leatherback turtle's nesting sites and take their eggs from their nest. This is a serious threat towards leatherback turtle because even they reproduce and lay eggs, people would just take all of them and use them for their own satisfaction. Even though now people strictly prohibit egg collection, it's still going on somewhere in the world, and it's a serious threat towards leatherback turtle.
3. Habitat loss
Because of industrialization and human footage and activities, leatherback turtles started to lose their habitats. Coral reefs and sea grass beds are also destroyed by human activity- which is nutrient run-off from agriculture.
4. Human activity
Because people throw trashes into ocean such as paper of plastic bag, sometimes leatherback turtles would just think as a jelly fish and eat it. However since it's a plastic bag, they will choke themselves and die. People should not throw trash away into ocean because it might trigger whole extinction of leatherback turtle
What are people doing to prevent extinction
People are now trying to prevent deaths of leatherback turtles in certain ways
1. Eliminating fishing
Because fishing nets were major cause of leatherback turtle's death, they now tries to eliminate and stop fishing.
2. Protect marine habitat
To make leatherback turtles migrate freely, now they are protecting coral reefs and their major habitats and nesting sites seriously.
3. Satellite tracking
People attaches camera on leatherback turtle's back and track them to see where is bycatching still going on, and to help them migrate and to protect their major habitat.
1. Eliminating fishing
Because fishing nets were major cause of leatherback turtle's death, they now tries to eliminate and stop fishing.
2. Protect marine habitat
To make leatherback turtles migrate freely, now they are protecting coral reefs and their major habitats and nesting sites seriously.
3. Satellite tracking
People attaches camera on leatherback turtle's back and track them to see where is bycatching still going on, and to help them migrate and to protect their major habitat.