The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed two species of turtles found in the Maldives on its Red List of threatened species.
IUCN designated the hawksbill turtles as critically endangered and the green turtles as endangered after conducting a Red List assessment on the Maldives. The assessment process included collecting information on sea turtle nesting activity, population size and structure, and different threats such as entanglements in marine debris.
IUCN stated that, for both green and hawksbill turtles, the collection and curation of a nationwide nesting database, as well as specific monitoring on potential index sites such as Gaadhoo, Laamu Atoll, proved to be vital for assessments, as historical nesting numbers are mainly unavailable for the country.
The IUCN Red List of threatened species is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk of animal, fungus, and plant species. It is an indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity and a guide for future conservation and funding priorities. The Red List provides information about the geographic range, population size, habitat, ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation action.
IUCN stated the assessment aims to set future priorities for research in the country and inform upcoming conservation plans, such as the forthcoming sea turtle management plan.