Marine turtles migrate and disperse over vast distances, so an individual may be exposed to numerous human activities in diverse environments, living within the jurisdictions of several sovereign states, as well as on the high seas. Many populations of marine turtles have declined due to a wide diversity of customs and traditions for exploitation and use of turtles and as a result these animals are categorized as endangered. Both national legislation and international instruments afford them protection from exploitation, incidental capture, and other human activities. These are shared resources, and are routinely treated as common property, particularly because marine turtles live in the ‘global commons’, the high seas. This results in divergent claims for rights to interact — or to limit the interactions of other stakeholders — with turtles, especially when consumptive exploitation is involved. Discourses to limit impacts and develop conservation programmes for these reptiles include arguments about protecting ecological roles and ecosystem services, concepts that are often juxtaposed to concerns for supporting marginalized communities, recuperating traditional practices, and asserting cultural/ religious rights.