# Malaysia's green turtles defy global wildlife decline

> Malaysia's green turtles jump from endangered to least concern as conservation efforts thrive.
- Title: Malaysia's green turtles defy global wildlife decline
- Summary: Malaysia's green turtles jump from endangered to least concern as conservation efforts thrive. Malaysia's green turtles have moved from endangered to least…
- Keywords: malaysia, green turtles, conservation, wwf, turtle hatchlings, mataking island, sabah, turtle protection, marine conservation, least concern, news, world
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/life/2026/10/08/palmsized-hatchlings-big-win-malaysias-green-turtles-defy-global-wildlife-decline/238236
- Published: 2026-10-08T21:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: malaysia, green turtles, conservation, wwf, turtle hatchlings, mataking island, sabah, turtle protection, marine conservation, least concern, news, world
## Green turtles jump to least concern
Green turtles have moved from endangered to least concern in global conservation rankings despite widespread wildlife decline.

> Never in my mind (did I think) that one day turtles can be 'least concern'. I cried... I said I’ve done my part
## WWF report shows 73% wildlife decline
The WWF's Living Planet Report found a 73-per cent decline in average wildlife population size over 53 years.
## Malaysian conservation efforts
Malaysian turtle expert Juanita Joseph has spent years on the frontlines, carrying out cutting-edge genetic research and convincing her father to stop eating turtle eggs.
## Turtle nesting triples since 1970s
Green turtle nesting at Sabah state’s Turtle Islands has tripled since the 1970s to over 20,000 nests annually.
## Sitti Rasah's conservation work
Sitti Rasah Abdul, 50, from a fishing community on Malaysia’s Omadal island, has relocated turtle eggs since 2012 with a women’s cooperative.
## Mataking Reef Resort conservation
Mataking Reef Resort owner Sophia Sie has 10 per cent of staff working on turtle conservation since 2006, when they collected 600 eggs.
## Turtle DNA database
WWF-Malaysia created the world’s first global turtle DNA database, Shellbank, using samples from turtle tissue and shells.
## Hatchling survival odds
Just one in 1,000 green turtle hatchlings survive to sexual maturity at 20 years old.
## Long-term conservation needed
WWF-Malaysia marine species strategy manager Gavin Jolis says conservation requires long-term projects, not short-term fixes.

> We should not look at just a short-term project, it’s a long-term project.
## Challenges remain
Green turtles face threats from poaching, climate change, development, and pollution at nesting beaches and feeding grounds.
## Key takeaway

Malaysia's green turtles have moved from endangered to least concern in global conservation rankings due to local conservation efforts.