Status Justification for Listing the Hawksbill Turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata) as Critically Endangered on the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals

Abstract

The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) meets the 1996 IUCN Red List criteria for a Critically Endangered species, based on global population declines of 80% or more during the last three generations (105 years) and projected declines over the next three generations. Most popula- tions are declining, depleted, or remnants of larger aggregations. Only five regional populations remain with more than 1000 females nesting annually (Seychelles, Mexico, Indonesia, and two in Australia). Hawksbills were previously abundant, as evidenced by high-density nesting at a few remaining sites and by trade statistics. Of all the species of marine turtles, the hawksbill has endured the longest and most sustained history of exploitation. In addition to all the threats shared with other marine turtles, hawksbills are exploited for tortoiseshell — long considered a precious material. While the species is not expected to become extinct in the foreseeable future, individual populations from around the world will continue to disappear under the current regime of exploitation, loss of habitat, and other threats. Hawksbills are closely associated with coral reefs, one of the most endangered of all marine ecosystem types. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), with good enforcement, is an effective tool to implement hawksbill conservation. For more than any other marine turtle species, international trade remains the most serious threat.