Money, Money, Money.
Healthy Seagrass = Healthy Economy
Green turtles are vital organisms that sustain both their own ecosystems and the human economy. The ecosystem services they provide can be directly equated to cash values, meaning the green turtle is an economic resource to humans. For example, green sea turtles are the main keepers of ocean seagrass beds, meaning they maintain the grasses at manageable levels and keep the ecosystem healthy. These very seagrasses have been utilized by humans for over 10,000 years to fertilize fields, insulate houses, weave furniture, thatch roofs, and even fill car seats. Seagrasses also support commercial fisheries and biodiversity by cleaning the water and taking harmful carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Seagrass beds have been deemed the third most valuable ecosystem on the planet! One hectare of seagrass has been estimated to be worth over $19,000 per year (Smithsonian, 2019). All of this value would be lost without the help of the green turtle.
Green Turtles Sustain Indigenous Communities
Marine turtle ecotourism is a huge contributor to coastal economies, especially in developing countries, of which â…” are home to sea turtles. Tourists are fascinated by these incredible creatures, therefore paying to see them and sustaining entire communities in the process. This is a prime example of how humans can benefit from the green turtle's aesthetic value. Annually, almost 200,000 people take sea turtle tours in over 90 sites in more than 40 countries. At the most established site in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica, marine turtle tourism brought in $6.7 million per year! Ecotourism is one of the largest aspects of green turtles’ instrumental value, a term to describe the value that turtles provide in helping us reach our goal of a thriving human economy. As the green turtle population declines worldwide, this tourism is jeopardized, as is the money it brings in and the jobs it provides (WWF, 2009).
Butsky, V. (2007). Snorkelers Swimming with Green Sea Turtle. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/butsky/357944052/
Swimmers observing a green sea turtle in Hawaii
Worth More Alive Than Dead!
Many coastal communities poach turtles for their meat, eggs, and leather in hopes to spin a profit. However, a 2009 economic study conducted by WWF researchers proves that marine turtle tourism brings in almost three times as much money as the sale of turtle products. The study compared the revenue generated from killing turtles and collecting their eggs with that generated from tourism at 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the first study to assess the economic value of sea turtles on a global scale. The results showed that at the nine sites where turtles were used for their meat, eggs, and shells, the average amount generated annually was $582,000, whereas the average annual income from the nine sites where turtles were utilized as tourist attractions was $1.65 million, nearly three times higher! (WWF, 2009) This confirms that turtles are most valuable to our economy when they are alive and thriving, rather than being brutally poached and sold. What’s best for green turtles is actually what’s best for us too!
**Keep in mind that this fact does not authorize humans to swim in close contact with green turtles or allow us to feed them food that they would not naturally consume. Studies have shown that consumption of human food by sea turtles often causes them to develop liver disease, gout, and cardiovascular issues (Scientific American, 2016). Sea turtle tourism can create wondrous and intimate moment with these creatures. Use this time to develop an appreciation for sea turtles rather than harming them!