Seychelles Green Turtle Population Reaches More Than 15,000 Today From 2,000 in 1960s Due to Decades of Conservation

According to a recent study, the green turtle eggs laid annually in Seychelles continue to rise over the past 50 years due to decades of conservation work.

Relentlessly hunted at the Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles is primarily responsible for the dwindled green turtle population. Thanks to the ban introduced in 1968, followed by strict regulations, restrictions, and active tracking, the number of eggs laid annually now reaches more than 15,000.

Studying the Population Increase of Green Turtles in Seychelles

COLOMBIA-GORGONA-ISLAND-NATURE — A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) swims near Gorgona Island, where an infamous prison used to work, in the Pacific Ocean off the southwestern Colombian coast, on December 2, 2021. - Colombia's former island prison of Gorgona, that could be compared to the sinister Alcatraz in the United States or Robben Island in South Africa, is a humid mass of volcanoes and jungle. Today, this natural jewel is a national natural park of black gravel, colourful reefs, thick jungle and exuberant fauna where tourists arrive to visit the park and dive. LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

A team of researchers from the University of Exeter, UK, found that the number of clutches rose from 2,000 to 3,000 annually during the late 1960s to more than 15,000 annually today. In the study published in the journal Endangered Species Research, titled "Green turtle population recovery at Aldabra Atoll continues after 50 yr of protection," found that green turtle clutches increases at the Aldabra Atoll by 2.6% per year, put directly under conservation efforts.

However, the greatest increase in turtle numbers has been found at Settlement Beach, Pcard, an area that historically received the most intense exploitation of female nesting. Computation in the study confirms that the atoll is the region's second-largest monitored rookery of green turtles. Research suggests that the considerable contribution of Aldabra to the regional turtle numbers demonstrates the benefits of long-term conservation and protection efforts.

Moreover, with the population of Aldabra's turtle still being below estimated pre-exploitation population numbers, this means that increases in the population with continue. Adam Pritchard, the lead author of the study from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter, explains that green turtles have suffered historical population declines due to intensive harvesting of nesting females. Adding that, the Aldabra Atoll was the first nesting site for green turtles to be protected in the Western Indian Ocean, with the ban on capturing the turtles taking effect in 1968.

Professor Brendan Godley, co-author, and supervisor of the study, says that the ongoing increase in the population of green turtles in Seychelles is a testament to long-term protection and conservation. He adds that it offers solid evidence that we can be optimistic regarding marine conservations when enacted, reports DailyMail.

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Understanding Greet Turtles and the Aldabra Atoll

The Aldabra Atoll was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage in 1982, housing the most ancient corals dating back to 125,000 years. However, during this time, the green turtles were almost extinct.

Chelonia mydas or Green turtles are the largest sea turtle species emerging onto Cousine Island's beaches to nest. Weighing on average of 110-190 kg and 1.5 meters in length, their name is derived from the green color of their cartilage and fat beneath the turtle's carapace.

Adult green turtles are known as the only herbivores of all the sea turtle species that mainly feed on seagrasses, helping maintain the health of seagrass beds, according to Cousine Island.