Less than one hatchling in a thousand will survive to maturity. Predators and Threats Young turtles have many predators. Foxes, feral pigs, dogs and goannas can eat the eggs, while sea birds, fish, crabs, sharks and humans prey on the hatchlings. As the turtle matures there is less chance of attacks from predators due to their large size and the turtle's hard shell that acts as armour. One of the biggest threats to marine turtles is pollution.
Turtles often drown when they become entangled in fishing nets.
They have also been found dead after ingesting plastic bags presumably mistaking them for jellyfish - a natural part of their diet. The other threat is habitat destruction, especially that of coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and nesting beaches. Almost on the brink of extinction, in Australia all marine turtles are protected by the Commonwealth's National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1975. Although many years of protection has helped increase their numbers, they still remain on the endangered species list.