Manila, Philippines – International experts have identified the Philippines’ Hawksbill Turtle population as one of the 11 most threatened sea turtle populations in the world, mainly due to illegal harvest for commercial use.
A report by the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature-Marine Turtle Specialist Group (IUCN-MTSG), supported by the Conservation International (CI) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), showed that the most significant threats across all the threatened populations of sea turtles are fisheries bycatch, accidental catches, and direct harvest of turtles or their eggs for food or turtle shell material for commercial use.
IUCN said the study is the first comprehensive status assessment of all sea turtle populations globally, which is designed to provide a blueprint for conservation and research of sea turtles. (Ellalyn B. de Vera)