Good Change for Green Sea Turtle And Other Species in IUCN Red List Update!

Photo Credit: Josué Rodríguez

The green turtle, along with 19 other species, has seen a positive update in their conservation status.

South Africa (17 October 2025) – The IUCN World Conservation Congress was held in Abu Dhabi this week.

Important updates were shared regarding the IUCN Red List, which is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of animals, plants, and fungi.

The red list exists to bring more understanding around the risk of extinction that species are facing. It’s used by governments, scientists, conservationists, and organisations all around the world.

Currently, it includes 172,620 species, of which 48,646 are under threat of extinction.

Some news shared this week was not good. Six species have already crossed the red line, and several are one step closer towards becoming extinct.

Thankfully, for all the bad conservation news we must keep abreast of, there’s also some good.

Over 20 species on the red list have moved away from the mark of extinction, thanks to initiatives that have been going strong for decades.

One particular win worth celebrating is the green sea turtle! The recent red list upgrade has seen it go from Endangered to Least Concern. Globally, the population has increased by 28% since the 1970s!

Green turtles are found in tropical and subtropical waters. While they don’t nest in SA’s waters, it’s not uncommon to spot them along the West Coast at certain times of year when the Agulhas Current carries and often strands them on SA’s shores.

There are many good things being done to protect them.

Some focus on keeping nesting females and their eggs safe on beaches. Others focus on reducing the harvest, trade and consumption of green turtles and their eggs. Special ‘Turtle Excluder Devices’ have also been used to curb the accidental capture of our green sea friends in fishing operations.

The boost in their population doesn’t compare to their numbers before we as humans became a real threat, but it’s a good step in the right direction. Issues like climate change also impact these statistics, and so that’s where more focus should lean, too.

“While species like Arctic seals and many birds face growing threats, the recovery of the green turtle reminds us that conservation works when we act with determination and unity,” says Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.

There’s even more good coming.

IUCN Members have voted to adopt a four-year programme that aims to make a difference and help nature recover leading up to 2030.

This will involve on-the-ground impact through directing resources to where they are needed and supporting frontline conservationists with capacity, knowledge and tools to advance their work. It’ll also be a collaborative effort that brings key change-makers together to guide and support environmental policy and nature-based education around the world.

The will form part of the IUCN’s greater 20-year plan that focuses on a collective action to effectively conserve and restore biodiversity across all ecosystems. It’s a big dream, but one worth putting every belief in.