Green turtle, the return of the gentle giant

For decades, the green turtle(Chelonia mydas) has been a symbol of fragility: each year thousands faced incidental capture, egg collection, and human exploitation of their coastal habitats. Today, thanks to decades of global conservation, the latest update of the IUCN Red List, presented Oct. 10, 2025 at the World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, reports an astonishing improvement in the species: from “endangered” to “minimally endangered.”

The global population of green turtles has increased by about 28 percent since the 1970s. The most effective efforts have involved protecting nesting females, combating unsustainable trade in eggs and turtles, introducing tools that reduce bycatch, and directly engaging local communities in sea turtle advocacy. In places such as Ascension Island, Brazil, Mexico, and Hawaii, some subpopulations are recovering to near pre-commercial exploitation levels.

“The global recovery of the green turtle shows what consistent and coordinated conservation can achieve over time. We can’t think about turtles without healthy oceans and coastlines, and the same is true for us,” says Roderic Mast, co-chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group.

Despite success, turtles remain vulnerable. Some subpopulations continue to be affected by fishing and habitat loss, while climate change threatens nesting beaches. On Raine Island, Australia, the world’s largest nesting colony, several years of declining production of baby turtles highlight how vigilance must continue.

In addition to their ecological value, green turtles have a significant cultural and socioeconomic role: their presence supports sustainable tourism, local traditions, and the health of coral reefs, which provide coastal protection and support for tens of thousands of marine species. This recovery demonstrates that, with targeted measures and perseverance, even long-lived species can reverse the course of decline.

Extinctions do not stop

However, the global biodiversity picture remains complex. The Red List update reports six extinct species, including the Christmas Island shrew and the snail Conus lugubris, and three Australian mammals assessed as extinct for the first time. Three Arctic seals are approaching extinction due to loss of sea ice, while more than half of bird species are in decline, with deforestation as the main cause.

The contrast between the recovery of the green turtle and the crisis of other species shows that conservation only works if it is continuous, focused and integrated into ecosystems. As Grethel Aguilar, Iucn director-general, points out, “While seals and birds face increasing threats, green turtle recovery reminds us that we can act with determination and unity.”