The loggerhead sea turtle is now in a good situation

For several decades, the loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta ) has had serious conservation problems, especially in the Mediterranean. Despite conservation measures adopted in the 1980s, the impact of accidental catches, combined with serious habitat changes, especially of coastal breeding sites, showed a rapid decline of the species. The IUCN, for years, has maintained the endangered status assessment for the species. Although many aspects of its life continue to remain little or not at all known (mainly migrations), the combined action of generalized awareness, conservation measures and active protection activities of nesting sites have allowed the loggerhead sea turtle to recover its population. All aerial surveys conducted by both ICCAT (for bluefin tuna) and ACCOBAM (for cetaceans) have shown frequent sightings of the species. The concomitant effects of climate change, which have caused the rise in water temperatures even in the northernmost parts of the Mediterranean, favoring the laying of eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle also on beaches in Liguria and the Northern Adriatic, have contributed to the new and positive situation. Currently, the IUCN considers the Mediterranean population of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) as Low Concern ( https://iucn.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/conservation_of_mediterranean_turtles_in_the_mediterranean_sea_en.pdf ). Also in this case, the positive synergic actions of man and nature have had the effect of bringing a threatened species back to the levels of current safety for the future.