KARACHI: Despite being recognised globally, marine turtles still struggle to receive the attention, funding and space they deserve in broader marine policy and planning.

Turtle conservation is most effective when it builds on what is already working on the ground, not when it imposes top-down models disconnected from reality, said the World Wide for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P).

Five species of marine turtles are found across major parts of the world’s oceans, and all five have been recorded in Pakistan’s coastal and offshore waters. The green sea turtle is the most reported marine turtle and is known to nest on key sandy beaches along the coastline of Pakistan.

In a statement released in connection with World Turtle Day on Friday, the organisation called for coordinated efforts and actions across the political and geographic borders to conserve the migratory turtle species.

It urged that many conservation programmes continue to prioritise nesting beaches, often neglecting foraging areas, migratory corridors, and offshore hotspots, even though these are often the sites of greatest threat.

“There is dire need for transnational coordination and integration of local and indigenous knowledge into governance systems to protect marine turtles,” it stated.

According to the organisation, the migratory nature of the marine turtle makes them inherently a shared species, not in ownership, but in responsibility. What happens to a turtle in one country’s waters affects the population across the region.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2025