The world's most threatened and healthiest sea turtle populations revealed

Turtles under serious threat in Indian Ocean - Nearly half of the world's most endangered turtles found in northern Indian Ocean

September 2011: Almost half - 45 per cent - of the world's most threatened sea turtle populations are found in the northern Indian Ocean, according to a new study.

The team of top turtle experts also determined that the most significant threats across all of the threatened populations of sea turtles are fisheries bycatch, accidental catches of sea turtles by fishermen targeting other species, and the direct harvest of turtles or their eggs for food or turtle shell material for commercial use.

The recent report, produced by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) and supported by Conservation International (CI) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), is the first comprehensive status assessment of global sea turtle populations. The study evaluated the state of individual populations of sea turtles and determined the 11 most threatened populations, as well as the 12 healthiest ones.

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