HAWKSBILL TURTLE 



Common Name: HAWKSBILL TURTLE 

 Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata 



Listing Date: 06/02/70 



Species Status: Endangered 



Species Trend: Decreasing 



Current Estimated Population: Unknown 



SPECIES POPULATION STATUS 



The havvksbill turtle's status has not changed since it was listed as endangered in 1970. There 

 are no world population estimates for hawksbill turtles, but a minimum of 15,000 to 25.000 

 females are thought to nest annually in more than 60 geopolitical entities. Nesting usually occurs 

 at low densities. Moderate population levels appear to persist around the Torres Straits, in the 

 Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and probably around the Amavon Islands. Northern Australia, Palau, 

 Persian Gulf islands, Oman, and parts of the Seychelles. Papua New Guinea. Queensland, and 

 Western Australia likely host 500-1,000 nesting females per year, while Indonesia and the 

 Seychelles may support greater than 1 ,000 nesting females per year. The largest known nesting 

 colony in the world is located on Milman Island, Queensland. Australia where in an 1 1-week 

 period in 1995, 365 hawksbills were tagged while nesting. 



In the wider Caribbean, recent surveys have documented relatively large nesting colonies on the 

 shores of the Yucatan Peninsula. Other regionally-important nesting colonies occur in 

 Nicaragua; Cuba; the San Bias Islands and Bocas del Toro region of Panama; Mona Island. 

 Puerto Rico; the Grenadines; the Manabique Peninsula; Guatemala; near Manatee Bar. Belize; 

 and Long Island. Antigua. Excluding the U.S. Pacific where firm data are virtually non-existent, 

 the United States (Caribbean/ Atlantic) probably supports a minimum of 650 nests per year or, 

 based on annual average clutch frequency of five nets per female, perhaps 130 nesting females. 

 Worldwide, approximately half of the known nesting populations are known or suspected to be 

 in decline, in particular, the entire Western Atlantic-Caribbean region is greatly depleted. 



Commercial exploitation is the major cause of the continued decline of the hawksbill turtle. 

 There is a continuing demand for the hawksbill" s shell and other parts of the turtle are used to 

 produce leather, oil, perfume, and cosmetics. Hawksbill shell commands high prices, a major 

 factor hampering recovery. As recently as 1990, Japan had been importing about 20 metric tons 

 of hawksbill shell per year, representing approximately 19,000 turtles. As a result of 

 international pressure and trade sanctions, Japan withdrew its reservations for sea turtles under 

 CITES in 1992. 



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