Once on the brink of extinction, green sea turtles have made a remarkable recovery — and are no longer classified as an endangered species.
Image of green sea turtle used for illustrative purposes/Charles J. Sharp/Wikimedia Commons
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced earlier this month that green turtles have officially been downgraded from “endangered” to “least concern” on the Red List of Threatened Species, marking one of the most successful marine conservation stories to date, according to Earth.org.
A global conservation success story
The IUCN’s latest assessment, completed in December 2024, shows that global green turtle populations have steadily grown since the 1970s — an estimated 28% increase compared to historic lows. This progress is largely thanks to decades of coordinated international protection efforts.
“Conservation efforts have focused on protecting nesting females and their eggs on beaches, reducing unsustainable harvests, and using Turtle Excluder Devices to cut accidental capture in fishing gear,” the IUCN said in a statement.
Roderic Mast, Co-Chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group, called the recovery “a powerful example of what coordinated global conservation over decades can achieve.”
Still a long swim ahead
WWF’s Global Marine Turtle Conservation Lead, Christine Madden, praised the reclassification as “a major win for turtle conservation” but cautioned that the work isn’t over.
“Conservation efforts must continue for green turtle populations to thrive in areas where they remain threatened by fishing gear entanglement, overfishing, and habitat loss,” Madden said.
Green sea turtles, the second-largest of the world’s seven sea turtle species, nest in more than 80 countries and inhabit coastal waters across roughly 140 nations. While populations in many regions are recovering, some subspecies in Costa Rica and Hawaii remain vulnerable — meaning future reassessments could change their status again.
A rare bright spot in a troubled biodiversity picture
The green turtle’s comeback stands out against a backdrop of alarming biodiversity decline worldwide. The IUCN’s updated Red List reveals that 61% of bird species now have declining populations — up from 44% in 2016 — due largely to deforestation and habitat degradation.
In the Arctic, seal populations face mounting threats from rapid sea ice loss, and six more species were officially declared extinct, including the Christmas Island shrew and the slender-billed curlew.
Despite this sobering picture, conservationists say the green turtle’s recovery is proof that sustained, science-based efforts can make a difference.
“This milestone reminds us that when the world commits to protecting species and their habitats, recovery is possible,” the IUCN said.
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