Alarm bells were ringing as the 32nd SPREP Meeting came to an end, with the shocking revelation that all sea turtles in the Pacific are threatened with extinction. This major analysis of the risk of extinction to sea turtles in Oceania was conducted by SPREP through the Pacific European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) By-catch and Integrated Ecosystems Management (BIEM) Pacific Project.
Six species of turtles are found in the Pacific Ocean; Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Flatback, Olive Ridley and the most common, Green turtle. The risk assessment was undertaken using a model called vTurtle, which simulated turtle life histories and tested possible harvest and bycatch scenarios. The outlook for all species, except possibly green turtles, is very poor or worse than expected, with current trajectories showing populations being driven to extinction. According to vTurtle, Leatherback turtles (LBT) will potentially be extinct within 30 years.
