Penyu Comel

Major Threats

 

      Turtle is included in the endangered species and its faces a serious population decline. Destructive effects of man-made impact are the most significantly impact like coastal areas experiencing large-scale development, resulting in the reduction of sea turtle nesting beaches. Besides, catching turtles for skins and meat also have reduced the population and also accidental catch in fishing nets like trawl has caused high mortality. 

 

Human Activities

     As the sea turtles have been on Earth for more than 100 million years, they tend to be endangered as they might go extinct because of the faces from entanglement, habitat loss, and consumption of their eggs and meat. Sea turtles often drown when caught in fishing gear, both nets and longlines. Basically, human activities that become a major threat to this marine reptile.

 

Commercial Fishing

     Every year has been recorded about turtle capturing by fisherman around the world. Basically, the turtles were accidentally by caught from dredges, trawls, pound nets, pot fisheries, and hand lines. This organism will suffer serious injuries to their flippers from constriction by the lines or ropes. In addition to entangling turtles, longline gear can also hook turtles in the jaw, esophagus, or flippers. All this items are very dangerous to the turtles and it also became a major threat to this marine reptiles.

 

Beach Activities

    Human use of nesting beaches can result in negative impacts to nesting turtles, incubating egg clutches and hatchlings. The most serious threat caused by increased human presence on the beach is the disturbance to nesting females. Example is like coastal development can destroy important nesting sites, impact coral reefs, and artificial light from houses and other buildings attracts hatchlings away from the ocean.

 

Marine Debris

      It is estimated that more than 100 million marine animals are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean. More than 80% of this plastic comes from land. As a result, thousands of sea turtles accidentally swallow these plastics as they mistaking them for food. For sea turtles, the floating plastics are very likely same with jellyfish which is their main food that can blocks their intestines and potentially kills them. Most of the debris is recognizable: plastic bags, balloons, bottles, degraded buoys, plastic packaging, and food wrappers.

 

Marine Pollution

    Marine pollution can have serious impacts on both sea turtles and the food they eat. New research suggests that a disease now killing many sea turtles (fibropapillomas) may be linked to pollution in the oceans and in near-shore waters. When pollution enters the water, it contaminates and kills aquatic plant and animal life that is often food for sea turtles. Oil spills, urban runoff from chemicals, fertilizers and petroleum all contribute to water pollution.