Hawksbill sea turtle nest numbers down by half

Endangered hawksbill sea turtles are not recovering to the extent scientists thought. In January marine turtle conservation specialists presented their data at a Sea Turtle Symposium in Savannah, USA prompting a call by the World Wildlife Fund to secure the species’ recovery. Scientific analysis of nest counts for the 2004 season showed that less than half the nests counted in 2000 were made on the beaches of the Mexican states of Veracrúz, Campeche, and Yucatán. Illegal trafficking persists, as well as hawksbill egg extraction, capture for meat consumption, and habitat destruction. The hawksbill turtle is considered critically endangered.