What Can I Do to Help Sea Turtles?

 

Wherever you live, sea turtles and the threats they face are closer than you might think. We each have the power to help save sea turtles every day and in a variety of ways. © San Diego Loyal SC

Where do you call home? Is it near a beach? In the heart of a city? In the mountains? Wherever it is, sea turtles and the threats they face are closer than you might think. We live in a globalized, interconnected world in which our lives and lifestyle choices have impacts far beyond our immediate surroundings. As a result, we each have the power to help save sea turtles every day and in a variety of ways.

According to the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group, the primary threats to sea turtles are fishery impacts, pollution, climate change, coastal development, and direct consumption. Following are ways you can help address each of those threats and practice sea turtle conservation in your daily life:

  • Fishery Impacts: Every time you eat seafood, you are supporting the fishery from which it came. Does that fishery harm sea turtles? Is it taking steps to be sustainable? Learn about the sustainability of your seafood choices by asking knowledgeable people, watching documentaries, or doing online research; those efforts will enable you to make more sustainable seafood choices.

  • Pollution: Plastic and chemical contaminants are two types of pollution that you can readily reduce at home. Take stock of your consumption of single-use plastics and household chemicals and look for environmentally sound alternatives. Explore the extensive online resources that are available for ideas and advice about reducing plastic waste.

  • Climate Change: There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint, including reducing the electricity used in your home, changing the way you get around, and making sustainable food choices. Evaluate your energy use and transportation needs to see if there are ways you can cut back. Consider reducing your consumption of meat—especially beef, which is a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Coastal Development: When planning your next beach vacation, choose to stay at a hotel or other accommodation that is working to protect the environment. If it is in a sea turtle nesting area, confirm that the establishment has taken steps to ensure the safety of nesting females, nests, and hatchlings. If you live near a sea turtle nesting beach, follow best practices to reduce light pollution and to minimize other disturbances to nesting and hatching turtles. Help others to do the same.

  • Direct Take: Many people are surprised to learn that hawksbill turtle shells are still widely used to make items sold to tourists, particularly in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia. There are no sustainable sources of tortoiseshell; you should never purchase such items. Learn how to recognize items made from tortoiseshell so you can avoid them whenever you travel (see “New Technology Uses Machine Learning to Tackle Tortoiseshell Trade”).

Above all, choose to do the things that make you feel good about helping sea turtles. You will find joy and motivation in knowing that you are not the only one making such choices in your daily life—you are part of a vast global movement of people dedicated to living sustainably. Together, our actions make a meaningful difference. For more ideas, visit https://www.seaturtlestatus.org/how-you-can-help.

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© Markus Spiske

 
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