The conservation of the hawksbill turtle in Western Samoa

Abstract

The hawksbill turtle (eretmochetys imbricata) population in Samoa has been depleted to near extinction through extensive human predation pressure upon the eggs and nesting turtles. The Fisheries Division of Western Samoa initiated a hawksbill conservation programme in 1971 in which approximately 500 eggs are transferred each nesting to a hatchery in an effort to replenish the turtle stocks. Such a conservation project is not only ecologically important but it is also important for local nutritional and industrial reasons. Adult turtles captured near the reef have always been an available protein source, and jewellery made from the shell provides an excellent revenue.