ea turtles have survived for more than 150 

 million years with little more than their shells to shield 

 them. They have swum the oceans since the time of 

 dinosaurs, outliving their reptilian cousins by centuries. 



But now, sea turtles seem headed for a similar fate. 

 Of the seven species in the world, six are considered 

 endangered or threatened with extinction. 



Five species— loggerhead, leatherback, green, Kemp's 

 ridley and hawksbill— can be found in the Southeast. 

 More than 99 percent of the nesting turtles in North 

 Carolina are loggerheads. 



Some theories hold that the populations of these giant 

 sea creatures are declining naturally. Extinction is a 

 normal biological process, some researchers say. It's im- 

 portant in the evolution of new species. 



But most scientists and environmentalists blame the 

 turtle's demise on people. 



And now, they say the responsibility to halt the 

 decline and to aid in the turtles' recovery is ours, too. 



"Sea turtles have been a great success through time, 

 until about 100 years ago," says Bill Brooks, naturalist 

 for the Bald Head Island Nature Conservancy. 



Excessive exploitation began then. People around the 

 world captured sea turtles and their eggs for food, 

 fisheries and trade. By the 1960s, more than 75 percent 

 of the population had been eliminated. 



Conservationists retaliated and the government took 

 action. A ban was placed on turtle fishing, and in 

 1973, the Endangered Species Act made it illegal to 



Surviv 



take or disturb adult turtles and their eggs. Worldwide, 

 treaties were passed for further protection. 

 Still, sea turtle populations decline. 

 Many countries ignore the international treaties that 

 protect the turtles, says Marydele Donnelly, director of 

 the Sea Turtle Rescue Fund of the Center for En- 

 vironmental Education. 



From 1970 to 1986, 2 million hawksbill sea turtles 

 were killed for their shells and sold in the Japanese 

 market. 



Olive ridleys are captured for their leather. And green 

 turtles are slaughtered for leather, meat, oil and shells. 

 In some countries, young hawksbill and green turtles, 

 stuffed and polished, make popular souvenirs. 



"The problem with international trade," Donnelly 

 says, "is that the easiest turtles to catch are the 

 nesting females because they're coming into shore. And 

 that's the worst thing of all." 



Killing a female turtle robs present and future 

 populations. 



In the United States, Donnelly cites the incidental 

 catch and subsequent drowning of sea turtles in fishing 

 nets as the reptile's biggest threat. Scientists estimate 

 over 11,000 drown in nets each year. (See story, page 5) 



Plastics and entanglements play a negative role, too. 



Sea turtles often consume plastic bags and other 

 trash. Such refuse can clog their digestive system and 

 cause them to die. 



David Webster, a researcher studying loggerheads at 



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