Almost all varieties of sea turtles are listed as “Endangered” and are butchered for their meat, eggs, shells, and skins. They suffer poaching and overexploitation from people who sell and those who buy their meats and eggs. Climate change has had a great influence on turtle nests. There are seven species of sea turtles, and six of these have been classified as endangered.
The trade for sea turtle meat and eggs still thrives in some parts of the world, and there is not much that can be done to stop it. In several countries, the business of turtle meat and eggs is a huge enterprise that provides a livelihood to many people. While in other parts of the world, sea turtles are used for ceremonial purposes.
As an endangered species, it is expected that more effort will be put into preserving this species, and also to help increase their numbers. The lack of public awareness is especially problematic when it comes to illicit trade of sea turtles. As this trade happens across borders and between countries, controlling it is seldom possible because this illegal activity occurs in rural regions where poachers cannot be found or prosecuted.
In Papua New Guinea, one man was determined to ensure that these sea turtles were sent back to their natural habitat. Arron Culling is trying to save the planet fifty dollars at a time. He recently found two sea turtles that would have been purchased as food, but he bought them for fifty dollars, and the lucky turtles were released back into the ocean. After setting the animals free, he stood by and recorded their triumphant return to the sea.
This compassionate man did this out of his pocket and didn’t need to set up a charity to achieve this. Arron had done this before, with his money and help of a few co-workers, he had set free approximately ten turtles so far and had no wish to stop anytime soon. Maybe we can all learn from Arron Culling’s actions and help endangered animals in need. It does not take much to give back to the environment, you may not have the funds to buy endangered animals, but there is so much more you can do that will help save the environment.