Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata) 5-Year Review : Summary and Evaluation

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources led the 5-year review with input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The draft document was distributed to NMFS regional offices and FWS regional and field offices for their review, and edits were incorporated where appropriate. Information sources include the final rule listing of this species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA); recovery plans for the U.S. Pacific and for the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; peer reviewed publications; unpublished field observations by the NMFS and FWS (Services), States; unpublished survey reports; and notes and communications from other qualified biologists. The public notice for this review was published on October 10, 2012, with a 60-day comment period (77 FR 61573). Two comments were received relevant to the hawksbill sea turtle. The commenters provided information on the continued threat of fisheries bycatch and adverse impacts of climate change. The information was incorporated as appropriate into the 5-year review.