Species of Sea Turtles
 		 
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Conservation Status

Under the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ‘red list’ leatherback sea turtles are considered critically endangered.



CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (EN) - A taxon is Critically Endangered when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future
Photo © 2008 Chris Johnson
Threats
Threats to leatherbacks vary from one region to another but include:
   
Loss of habitat due to commercialisation of tropical beaches (particularly tourism) and industrialisation
 
Accidental capture by fishing activities, due to trawl net fishing
Pollution caused by industries in tropical waters, and heavy industry in temperate migratory waters
Human predation
Animal predation
   

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Illustrations: M. Demma © ICRAM