opinion

On January 18 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) called on the Mexican and all the Caribbean governments, as well as on the international scientific community, to urgently restart regional dialogue and develop a joint strategy aimed at stopping the drastic decline of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtle populations, and secure its recovery.

Until recently, the international scientific community believed this endangered population was on the rise. Current research shows otherwise, warned WWF through its new Hawksbill turtle website (http://www.hawksbillwwf.org). Analysis of reproduction data revealed that hawksbill nesting numbers had suffered a precipitous decline from 2000 to the present. The 2004 season registered less than half the usual nests, from a total of 5,595 in 2000, on the beaches of the Mexican states of Veracruz, Campeche, and Yucatan, reverting back to the mid 90s levels.

"These are alarming data, and unfortunately, we don't know why there is such a dramatic decline. The trends are similar in each state, which may indicate that this is caused by a regional phenomenon," said Carlos Drews, Marine Turtle Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean at WWF. "Illegal trafficking persists, as well as hawksbill egg extraction, capture for meat consumption, and habitat destruction. It is therefore urgent that governments of Mexico and the entire Caribbean region renew their dialogue and move forward with concrete conservation measures before it is too late," added Drews.

This research was presented by marine turtle conservation specialists at the recent "XII Regional Workshop on Conservation Programs at the Yucatan Peninsula, and I for the Golf and the Caribbean" in Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico. Following the meeting, the Mexican Government requested a joint investigation to find the causes of the hawksbill nesting decline and its status, at the COP II of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles in Venezuela.

The hawksbill turtle is considered critically endangered. It lives close to coral reefs areas and feeds from sponges. Adults grow up to 60 kg. The most important breeding site in the Caribbean is Yucatan, Mexico, from where they cross the Caribbean basin to foraging grounds throughout the region. No one knows exactly how long it takes the hawksbill to reach maturity, but the species all return to the same beach they were born to nest their eggs.
























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