Leatherback turtle  (Dermochelys coriacea)

Several populations of leatherback turtles in the Pacific have plummeted in recent years, principally due to accidental capture in fisheries and the over-harvest of eggs (13). Other threats to leatherbacks worldwide include habitat loss, accidental capture in fisheries, boat strikes, and ingestion of discarded plastics, which leatherbacks mistake for jellyfish (14).

International trade in leatherback turtles and products is banned under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and the turtle is protected throughout most of its range (1). Many conservation projects have been set up on nesting beaches, with specific management protocols tailored to each location. The attachment of Turtle Excluding Devices (TEDs) to shrimp nets can help prevent the accidental capture of turtles (bycatch) and the US government has recently set up Leatherback Conservation Areas in the north Pacific that are off-limits to long-line fisheries during certain times of the year. Despite encouraging signs of stable or increasing populations in the Atlantic, conservationists are concerned that extinction of other populations is only a matter of time. Recent estimates have suggested there are no more than 2000 breeding females in the eastern Pacific, making this population extremely vulnerable (12).