The Status of the Flatback Turtle
A large female flatback turtle hauls herself across a remote beach in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Flatback turtles nest exclusively in Australia. © Colin Munro Photography
The flatback turtle is reproductively endemic to northern Australia (continental and nearshore island beaches) and ventures into the nearby waters of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It is the only sea turtle species that does not undergo an oceanic phase, staying in coastal and shelf waters for its entire lifecycle. Flatbacks were not included in the Marine Turtle Specialist Group’s regional management unit (RMU) and Conservation Priorities Portfolio 2.0 (CPP) analyses because their highly restricted range—from 22°S in Western Australia to 24.8°S in Queensland—limits the applicability of the RMU framework, which focuses on more widely distributed populations across multiple countries.
Flatbacks are listed as Vulnerable under Australian legislation and are protected throughout their range. The IUCN Red List Assessment of the flatback turtle, not updated for more than 20 years, currently classifies the flatback as data deficient (DD). A new Red List Assessment is currently under review with hopes of changing the DD classification, as these animals have been thoroughly studied for more than 50 years.
Flatbacks face a range of threats. Rising global temperatures cause deaths and feminization of hatchlings, and increasing extreme weather events, such as cyclones, are taking a toll through nest destruction and degradation of nesting beach habitat. Marine debris continues to pose a risk, particularly in the Arafura Sea, where entanglement in ghost nets causes hundreds of flatback deaths annually. Habitat loss and modification, particularly from mining, oil, and gas, also pose serious threats, along with associated dredging, port construction, and increased shipping traffic near flatback nesting and foraging areas. These industrial operations also generate light pollution, which disorients hatchlings. Commercial and recreational fisheries have historically posed a threat as well, but the introduction of turtle excluder devices has helped to reduce bycatch. Nevertheless, some bycatch hotspots remain, including the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Significant conservation work has been undertaken, primarily focused on reducing threats to nesting sites and reducing bycatch. Community conservation groups, government organizations, industry, and indigenous land management groups have all been instrumental partners. Efforts to reduce light pollution through national guidelines, as well as feral animal control, including protections against pigs in the Gulf of Carpentaria, have helped at several rookeries. Moreover, Australia’s commitment to establishing marine protected areas at critical nesting and foraging sites will help to guarantee a safe future for the flatback.
This article originally appeared in SWOT Report, vol. 20 (2025). Download this entire article as a PDF.