the green sea turtle
the green sea turtle is a large turtle can grow to 1.5 metres in length and weigh up to 200 kilograms. it is found in warm coastal waters around the world,but the largest populations today are in Florida and the caribbean.Hawaii Borneo. in all these areas the turtles are at risk,with populations in Florida and Mexico officially described as endangered.although in the past there were probably several green sea turtles in the world,today scientists believe that fewer than 200000 adult females remain.below we list some of the reasons why number of this and other sea turtles have declined
็HUNTING
people around the world have used the meat of the green sea turtle for food since ancient times and it is the main ingredient in turtle soup.the eggs,which the females turtles bury on sandy beaches,are also collected by hunters.unfortunately,although laws banning the hunting have been passed in many countries,people continue to do so illegally
FISHING
every year,more than 10000 sea turtles are accidentally trapped in fishing nets.unable to breathe,these turtles soon drown.many of these deaths could be avoided if the fishermen made minor changes to their equipment that would allow the turtles to escape.for some reason,many fishermen seem unwilling to do this,although the law requires them to do so
RUBBISH
the seaare littered with rubbish which can prove deadly to the turtles.they can become entangled in old fishing lines and nets or they may mistake pieces of plastic for food .when the turtle swallow the plastic,it can block their digestive systems and then the turtles starve to death.
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT
more and more beaches,used the the turtles as nesting areas are developed.this means that the female do not have a familiar place in which to lay their eggs and as a result some females may not nest at all. even if the turtle do manage to lay their eggs,these may be crushed by people walking along the beach. just as seriously,the young turtles are often confused by the bright lights when they hatch and are unable to find their way to the sea and safety
DISEASE
in recent year,scientists have reported that a new disease is affecting green sea turtle populations,particularly in Florida and Hawaii. scientists suspect that the disease,which eventually kills the infected turtles,is caused by a virus or parasite,but the exact cause is not yet known.