The Pacific leatherback turtle population has experienced a catastrophic decline over the past two decades and might be on the verge of extirpation

The Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) population has experienced a catastrophic decline over the past two decades and might be on the verge of extirpation. The most conservative population estimates, derived from nest counts and numbers of females nesting annually, show that there could be as few as 2,300 adult females in the Pacific Ocean. Others have proposed estimates of 1,690 adult females in the Eastern Pacific and 2,100–5,700 breeding females in the Western Pacific. The progressive decline in numbers of nesting females in the Eastern Pacific, well documented at Playa Grande, Costa Rica, and on the Pacific coast of Mexico, has been attributed to increased adult mortality associated with gillnet and longline fisheries and extensive egg harvesting. In the Western Pacific, declines in nesting females have been documented in Papua, Indonesia and Terengganu, Malaysia, where the nesting population virtually has collapsed as a result of intensive egg harvesting. Although consistent long-term nesting data are not available for most of the Western Pacific leatherback population, major nesting areas for leatherbacks recently have been identified, and conservation efforts to protect and monitor these sites are underway.

Source:
Heather S. Harris et al. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 47(2), 2011, pp. 321–337 (attached)