Green turtles offer hope as wildlife populations fall

Green turtles have become a rare conservation success as many monitored wildlife populations decline, according to conservation groups and scientists working in Malaysia.

WWF's biannual Living Planet Report found a 73 percent decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations over 53 years. It also said about half of the thousands of vertebrate populations it monitors are stable or increasing.

Green turtles are among the improved populations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced last year that green turtles were no longer endangered globally and were classed as least concern.

Conservation workers attributed the improvement to decades of work including egg relocation, marine protection and trade bans. In Malaysia's Sabah state, green turtle nesting at the Turtle Islands has tripled since the 1970s to more than 20,000 nests a year, Sabah Parks director Maklarin Lakim said.

The recovery remains uneven. Some regional green turtle populations are still endangered and declining, and all six other sea turtle species are vulnerable or critically endangered, apart from the flatback turtle, whose status is unclear because of data shortages.

Turtles still face threats from hunting for meat, eggs and shells, fishing nets, coastal development and pollution. Climate change can also skew turtle populations more female because egg temperature affects sex development.

WWF-Malaysia marine species strategy manager Gavin Jolis said protecting sea turtles requires work across their life cycle. WWF has created a global turtle DNA database, Shellbank, to trace turtle populations and help target poaching.