Home News Turtle and dugong footage causes controversy

Turtle and dugong footage causes controversy

By Jenna Hanson • 15 March 2012

The green turtle is the most commonly hunted species in the Torres Strait. (Credit: Dieter Spears)

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A TV report showing turtles and dugongs hunted in the Torres Strait has been criticised as unbalanced and emotive.

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Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated. Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a species’ gene pool shrinks as the population declines. Losing genetic diversity limits the ability of populations to adapt to threats such as disease and climate change.