Editing Sea turtle (section)

=== Relationship with humans ===

Sea turtles are caught worldwide, although it is illegal to hunt most species in many countries.<ref name="CITES">{{cite web|author=CITES |author-link=CITES |title=Appendices |publisher=Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna |date=14 June 2006 |url=http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |format=SHTML |access-date=5 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203100154/http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |archive-date=3 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="CITESEI">{{cite web|author=UNEP-WCMC |author-link=UNEP-WCMC |title=Eretmochelys imbricata A-301.003.003.001 |work=UNEP-WCMC Species Database: CITES-Listed Species |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre |url=http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/CITES/Taxonomy/tax-species-result.cfm?displaylanguage=eng&Genus=Eretmochelys&Species=imbricata&source=animals&Country=&tabname=all |access-date=5 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929132215/http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/CITES/Taxonomy/tax-species-result.cfm?displaylanguage=eng&Genus=Eretmochelys&Species=imbricata&source=animals&Country=&tabname=all |archive-date=September 29, 2007}}</ref> A great deal of intentional sea turtle harvests worldwide are for food. Many parts of the world have long considered sea turtles to be fine dining. In England during the 1700s, sea turtles were consumed as a delicacy to near extinction, often as [[turtle soup]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Clarkson |first=Janet |title=Soup : a global history |date=2010 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1-86189-774-9 |location=London |pages=115–118 |oclc=642290114 }}</ref> [[Ancient China|Ancient Chinese]] texts dating to the 5th century B.C.E. describe sea turtles as exotic delicacies.<ref name="EatingTurtlesChina">{{cite journal | last=Schafer | first=Edward H. | author-link=Edward H. Schafer | title=Eating Turtles in Ancient China | journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society | volume=82 | issue=1 | pages=73–74 | year=1962 | doi=10.2307/595986| jstor=595986}}</ref> Many coastal communities around the world depend on sea turtles as a source of protein, often harvesting several sea turtles at once and keeping them alive on their backs until needed. Coastal peoples gather sea turtle eggs for consumption.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn68/mtn68p8.shtml |title=MTN 68:8-13 Status of Nesting Populations of Sea Turtles in Thailand and Their Conservation |publisher=Seaturtle.org}}</ref>

[[File:Manner in which the natives of the East Coast Stirke Turtle.jpg|thumb|"Manner in which Natives of the East Coast strike turtle". Near [[Cooktown]], Australia. From [[Phillip Parker King]]'s Survey. 1818.]]

To a much lesser extent, some species are targeted for their shells. [[Tortoiseshell]], a traditional decorative ornamental material used in Japan and China, comes from the [[carapace]] [[scutes]] of the hawksbill sea turtle.<ref name="FisheriesModel">{{cite journal | last=Heppel | first=Selina S. | author-link=Selina Heppel |author2=Larry B. Crowder | title=Analysis of a Fisheries Model for Harvest of Hawksbill Sea Turtles (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') | journal=Conservation Biology | volume=10 | issue=3 | pages=874–880 | doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.1996.10030874.x |date=June 1996 | jstor=2387111| bibcode=1996ConBi..10..874H }}</ref><ref name="CNNJapan">{{cite news|last=Strieker |first=Gary |author-link=Gark Strieker |title=Tortoiseshell ban threatens Japanese tradition |work=CNN.com/sci-tech |publisher=Cable News Network |date=10 April 2001 |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/04/10/japan.turtles/ |access-date=2 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311014928/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/04/10/japan.turtles/ |archive-date=11 March 2007}}</ref> [[Ancient Greek]]s and [[ancient Roman]]s processed sea turtle scutes (primarily from the hawksbill sea turtle) for various articles and ornaments used by their elites, such as combs and brushes.<ref name="Periplus">{{cite journal | last=Casson | first=Lionel | author-link=Lionel Casson | title=Periplus Maris Erythraei: Notes on the Text | journal=The Journal of Hellenic Studies | volume=102 | pages=204–206 | doi=10.2307/631139| year=1982 | jstor=631139| s2cid=161133205 }}</ref> The skin of the flippers is prized for use as shoes and assorted leather goods.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Steiner |first1=Todd |last2=Heitchue |first2=Mark |last3=Ghriskey |first3=Henry W. |date=1994 |title=Banned Sea Turtle Products Still Exported from Mexico |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43882966 |journal=Earth Island Journal |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=9 |jstor=43882966 |issn=1041-0406}}</ref> In various West African countries, [[Use of sea turtles in West African traditional medicine|sea turtles are harvested for traditional medicinal use]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

The [[Moche (culture)|Moche]] people of ancient [[Peru]] worshipped the sea and its animals. They often depicted sea turtles in their art.<ref>Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. ''The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the [[Larco Museum|Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera]].'' New York: [[Thames and Hudson]], 1997.</ref> [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s poem "[[Fastitocalon (poem)|Fastitocalon]]" echoes a second-century Latin tale in the ''[[Physiologus]]'' of the ''Aspidochelone'' ("round-shielded turtle"); it is so large that sailors mistakenly land and light a fire on its back, and are drowned when it dives.<ref name="Letter 255">[[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien'', #255 to Mrs Eileen Elgar, 5 March 1964; [[Humphrey Carpenter]] and [[Christopher Tolkien]], eds. (Allen & Unwin, 1981; {{ISBN|0-261-10265-6}})</ref><ref>[[Christina Scull]] & [[Wayne G. Hammond]] (2014), editors, ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', Harper Collins, p. 224; {{ISBN|978-0007557271}}</ref>
 
Beach towns, such as [[Tortuguero, Costa Rica]], have transitioned from a tourism industry that made profits from selling sea turtle meat and shells to an ecotourism-based economy. Tortuguero is considered to be the founding location of sea turtle conservation. In the 1960s the cultural demand for sea turtle meat, shells, and eggs was quickly killing the once-abundant sea turtle populations that nested on the beach. The Caribbean Conservation Corporation began working with villagers to promote ecotourism as a permanent substitute to sea turtle hunting. Sea turtle nesting grounds became sustainable. Tourists love to come and visit the nesting grounds, although it causes a lot of stress to the sea turtles because all of the eggs can get damaged or harmed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seaturtle-world.com/sea-turtles-and-humans/ |title=Sea Turtles and Humans – Sea Turtle Facts and Information |website=www.seaturtle-world.com |date=4 January 2014 |access-date=2017-04-24}}</ref> Since the creation of a sea turtle ecotourism-based economy, Tortugero annually houses thousands of tourists who visit the protected {{convert|22|mi|km|order=flip|adj=on}} beach that hosts sea turtle walks and nesting grounds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tortugueroinfo.com/usa/sea_turtles_tortuguero.htm |title=Sea turtles in Tortuguero Costa Rica, a turtle haven ! |work=Tortuguero Costa Rica Tours }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/25/travel/turtle-watch-in-costa-rica.html?scp=3&sq=costa%20rica,%20sea%20turtle&st=cse | work=The New York Times | title=Turtle Watch in Costa Rica | first=John R. | last=Alden | date=25 October 1998}}</ref> Walks to observe the nesting sea turtles require a certified guide and this controls and minimizes disturbance of the beaches. It also gives the locals a financial interest in conservation and the guides now defend the sea turtles from threats such as poaching; efforts in Costa Rica's Pacific Coast are facilitated by a nonprofit organization, Sea Turtles Forever.<ref name="Eugene">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=20060326&id=PWBWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4551,6016259 |newspaper=[[Eugene Register-Guard]] |date=March 26, 2005 |title=Seaside Couple Protect Costa Rican Turtles |access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>  Thousands of people are involved in sea turtle walks, and substantial revenues accrue from the fees paid for the privilege.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://conserveturtles.org/wp-content/uploads/Tortuguero%20Green%20Turtle%20Report%201999.pdf |title=Report on the 1999 Green Turtle Program at Tortugero, Costa Rica |publisher=[[Caribbean Conservation Corporation]] and the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica |date=22 February 2000 |first1=Sebastian |last1=Troëng |first2=Jeff |last2=Mangel |first3=Sheleyla |last3=Kélez |first4=Andy |display-authors=etal |last4=Meyers |pages=11, 21–23, 29, 32 |access-date=30 November 2018 |archive-date=27 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127193718/https://conserveturtles.org/wp-content/uploads/Tortuguero%20Green%20Turtle%20Report%201999.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In other parts of the world where sea turtle breeding sites are threatened by human activity, volunteers often patrol beaches as a part of conservation activities, which may include relocating sea turtle eggs to hatcheries, or assisting hatching sea turtles in reaching the ocean.<ref name=NIE>{{cite web|url=http://newindianexpress.com/education/student/article557787.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810045119/http://newindianexpress.com/education/student/article557787.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 10, 2013|title=Join the turtle walk|work=[[New Indian Express]]|publisher=Newindianexpress.com|access-date=2 October 2018}}</ref> Locations in which such efforts exist include the east coast of India,<ref name=H>{{citation |url=https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2002/05/19/stories/2002051900230800.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030516140742/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2002/05/19/stories/2002051900230800.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 May 2003 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |title=The ebb and flow of life |date=19 May 2002 |first1=S. Theodore |last1=Baskaran}}</ref> [[São Tomé and Príncipe]],<ref name=STP>{{citation |title=On Turtle Patrol: the Bradt travel guide. |work=São Tomé and Príncipe |first=Kathleen |last=Becker  |location=Chalfont St. Peter |publisher=[[Bradt Travel Guides]]|year=2014 |isbn=9781841624860}}</ref> [[Sham Wan (Lamma Island)|Sham Wan]] in Hong Kong,<ref name=SCMP>{{citation |title=Actors and activists fight for endangered green sea turtles' nesting site in Hong Kong |newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=26 June 2018 |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2152477/actors-and-activists-fight-endangered-green-sea-turtles-nesting-site-hong}}</ref> and the coast of [[Florida]].<ref name=TITS>{{citation |title=Tracks in the Sand: Sea Turtles and Their Protectors |first1=Frank |last1=Gromling |first2=Mike |last2=Cavaliere |publisher=[[Ocean Publishing]]  |location=Flagler Beach, Florida |year=2010 |isbn=9780982694008}}</ref>