Recovery Plan for Hawksbill Turtles in the U.S. Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico (Eretmochelys imbricata)

The hawksbill is listed as an endangered species throughout the world. The most important nesting beaches within United States jurisdiction in the Caribbean Sea are on MOM Island, Puerto Rico, and Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands. Coastal development threatens nesting habitat. Illegal slaughter is a threat in Puerto Rico as well as in neighboring countries. International trade in hawksbill products threatens populations all over the world.  The recovery goal is to delist the species.