STATUS OF RECOVERY PROGRAM 

 INTERIM PLAN FOR HAWAIIAN SEA TURTLES 



Plan Stage: INTERIM 



SPECIES COVERED 



HAWKSBILL TURTLE (PACIFIC) 

 LEATHERBACK TURTLE (PACIFIC) 

 GREEN TURTLE (PACIFIC) 

 OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLE (PACIFIC/MEXICAN) 



RECOVERY PLAN STATUS 



A recovery plan for Hawaiian sea turtles was drafted by a recover\' team appointed in 1985. This 

 was published as an Interim Plan in Februan,' of 1992. Recover\ plans for sea turtles in the 

 Pacific Ocean have been drafted and should be completed, along with an implementation plan, 

 by 1998. 



RECOVERY ACTIONS 



Hawksbill turtles : 



The major actions recommended for hawksbill turtles in the interim plan are: 



1 . Eliminate adverse human-induced habitat alteration in order to maintain foraging and 

 resting habitats and nesting beaches: and 



2. Monifor trends in nesting activity and develop an index to track the population. 



The major actions recommended for green turtles in the interim plan are: 



1 . Continue census of adults through mark-recapture methods; 



2. Monitor subadults and adults in resident nearshore habitat: and 



3. Investigate etiology of fibropapillomas, a significant tumor disease of the population. 



Recovery actions for leatherback and olive ridley turtles will focus on international cooperative 

 efforts, since there are no knowTi nesting colonies of these two species under U.S. jurisdiction in 

 the Pacific region. 



RECOVERY GOALS 



Goals of the Interim Recoverv' Plan are to secure habitat, and restore and maintain Hawaiian sea 

 turtle populations at levels of abundance that provide for maximum hatchling producUon. 

 Criteria for recover)' have been set for the various Hawaiian stocks as follows: 



