Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
Populations of tortoises and freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia have been facing immense pressure over the last few decades but with the dedicated efforts of conservationists across the region, the future of these species is looking much brighter today than it did 10 years ago. Nevertheless, harvesting for consumption and the international pet trade as well as habitat loss remain the primary causes of turtle declines today, just as they were a decade ago.
This report provides updates for 42 Critically Endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles found in this region and lists key actions for each species to stop their decline and initiate species recovery.
On World Turtle Day 2022, ASAP hosted its first webinar "Saving Turtles ASAP: Stories from Southeast Asia" along with the publication of the report.
In the webinar, ASAP Partners, Turtle Conservation Society, PROGRES, Turtle Survival Alliance were invited to share about their efforts in saving Critically Endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia from the brink of extinction.