Rebuilding Caribbean Hawksbill
Populations
A Coordinated Investment Strategy and Business Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Building on its 15-year history in sea turtle conservation in the Western Hemisphere, the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) proposes a ten-year plan to position Caribbean Hawksbill sea turtle
populations onto a sustainable recovery trajectory. The goal of this ten-year proposal is to increase the
Caribbean Hawksbill Regional Management Unit’s nesting female population to 25,000 by 2022, which
represents a 100% increase over 2008 levels.
This strategy directly builds on more than $600,000 invested by NFWF and its partners to stabilize the
steep historical decline of the Caribbean Hawksbill RMU population and increase capacity throughout the
region for sea turtle conservation. These previous investments and networking in the region allow us to
put forward a ten-year plan that targets fisheries bycatch mortality, direct harvest of turtles and
degradation of nesting beach habitat, which are the top threats impeding the recovery of the Caribbean
Hawksbill RMU population. The plan focuses future funding to geographic areas where these threats are
having the greatest impact and where the capacity has been built from previous investments to
successfully address (mitigate) them.
In preparing this strategy, NFWF has relied upon the best available science, convened a body of 12
experts on the Caribbean Hawksbill RMU to develop goals and strategies, and solicited ideas and data
from all 40 Caribbean countries in which Hawksbill sea turtles have been known to nest. This business
plan also incorporates the new assessment tools that NFWF has been developing to aid in the evaluation
of the Initiative.
Putting Conservation Value in a Global Context
Hawksbill sea turtles have a
global distribution that has
been subdivided in to
Regional Management Units
(RMU). The Caribbean
Hawksbill RMU, outlined in
red in Figure 1, accounts for
over half of the known global
nesting sites for this Critically
Endangered species. Over the
past 100 years the Caribbean
Hawksbills have experienced
an 80% decline and the
population is estimated to be at its Figure 1. Regional management units (RMU) for Hawksbill sea turtles from Wallace et al.
2010 with added red outline of the Atlantic, Western Caribbean/USA management unit, which
historically low level at 12,500
is the focus of this business plan.
nesting females. Through the
implementation of this
conservation plan, NFWF has an unique opportunity to help recover this remarkable sea turtle, by
building on some welcome news from the field that suggests that the population decline is slowing and in
some places like Barbados the population may even growing.
Defining Our Conservation Goals and Objectives
The business plan provides a 10-year investment strategy of $6.5 million to continue to stabilize the
Caribbean hawksbill population and work to double the 2008 nesting population to 25,000 nesting
females by 2022. Achieving this goal will propel the population on a strong growth trajectory
toward the long-term sustainability target of 75,000 nesting females in the population.
NFWF jointly convened, in partnership with the
Wildlife Conservation Society, five meetings of the
regional experts on Caribbean Hawksbills to
establish a sustainable population goal, define threats
and map out the most strategic conservation activities
to address these threats. This expert working group
(EWG) began by defining a sustainable population
goal for the RMU as at, or exceeding, the population
level from three generations (roughly 100 years) ago.
As Hawksbill turtles are a long-lived species which
take 20-30+ years to reach reproductive maturity, the
EWG recommended that an interim milestone for the
10 year business plan would be to show a measurable
positive change in the current trajectory across the 14
Figure 2. Estimated population curves based on investment
beaches that represent 60% of the nesting
strategy.
productivity for this RMU. NFWF engaged 60 sea
turtle managers and conservationists from 42
Caribbean countries/territories through the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network
(WIDECAST) via a survey to assess the relative to the impact of three threats described above to the
overall population and to identify priority geographies to focus mitigation efforts. The results of this
survey prioritized the following actions to conserve the Caribbean Hawksbill population:
1. Reduce incidental capture in set net fishing gear: increase our knowledge on the impact of this
hazard to the Caribbean population, support incentive based approaches to the development and
implementation of turtle friendly fishing gear, and improve surveillance in areas of concern.
2. Reduce direct exploitation of juveniles and adults in illegal fishing activities: provide training and
incentives for increased surveillance in areas where high concentrations of turtles and intensive
fishing are known to overlap.
3. Reduce negative impacts of nesting beach habitat loss: assess the threat of habitat loss to the top
14 producing nesting beaches and the next 5 tier two beaches with the most growth potential; devise
strategies based on this assessment to secure these nesting strongholds and prevent diminishing
returns.
Proposed Investment Strategies
The Foundation proposes the following investment strategies for reducing mortality during the in-water
life stages of Caribbean hawksbill turtles, while preserving the quality of the most critical nesting
beaches.
Strategy I: Reducing Mortality from Bycatch in Set Nets
This business plan seeks to implement this bycatch reduction strategy in four countries. Three of these
countries (Mexico, Dominican Republic and Haiti) estimated their bycatch rates to be greater than 1,000
animals annually and one (Bahamas) reported their bycatch as completely unknown, but experts suspect
that the bycatch number may exceed sustainable levels. Of the three countries that have identified high
bycatch rates, NFWF has already begun in depth quantitative assessments in Mexico and the Dominican
Republic to help further refine hotspot areas and to understand what mitigation strategies might be
successful. During the first five years of the business plan, NFWF will support the completion of these
assessments and then establish reduction targets and begin the implementation mitigation strategies for
both of these countries. During the same period, NFWF will invest in assessments for Haiti and the
Bahamas to further refine the rates of bycatch and identify potential hotspots within these countries, as
well as opportunities for mitigation.
This strategy is projected to save at least 2,500 juvenile and adult turtles from bycatch mortality, or the
reproductive equivalent of at least 600 nesting females, by the third year of implementation and a similar
number annually starting in 2015 for a total impact of 4,800 nesting females saved.
A.
Assessment of priority in-water hawksbill habitat and overlying fishing threats.
The overlap between fishing areas and sea turtle habitats such as feeding grounds, inter-nesting areas
know to have high density of reproductively active turtles, and migratory corridors has led to high
mortality of turtles in some places. Previous NFWF investments in Mexico and Dominican Republic
have already begun to identify key areas of overlap and are establishing baseline levels of the threat. For
these locations, NFWF will focus in on two hotspot fishing communities (Isla Mujeres and BajoBajos de
Sisal in Mexico; Jaragua and Saona
Island in the Dominican Republic) to
build a quantitative threat assessment
model that can be applied to other
geographies, and to pilot fishermen
engagement in mitigation efforts.
Haiti and the Bahamas are data poor
with socio-economic and political
constraints that will threaten the
success of conservation initiatives.
Therefore, at these two locations, a
broader country-wide assessment will
be conducted to determine the
Figure 4. Example of previous assessment work identifying areas
magnitude of the problem, identify
where fishing and high sea turtle densities overlap along the Yucatan
specific hotspot fishing communities,
Peninsula in Mexico. NFWF project #26228
and explore the best strategies to
pursue. Assessments at additional
priority locations identified in the survey (e.g., Pearl Keys, Nicaragua) may become part of the investment
strategy as additional information and resources become available.
B. Develop and pilot locally relevant turtle safe gear/methods
NFWF has a growing and successful history of testing and promoting 'safe' gear alternatives that allow
fishing to continue without the negative impacts to untargeted catch. The primary gear of concern for
Hawksbills is thought to be gill nets that are set in place overnight (set-nets) in the hope that fish will get
tangled up by their gills in the mesh. These nets are hard to detect underwater and end up catching sea
turtles. While no definitive gear solution has been widely adopted for set-nets, there are a number of gear
modifications in development. Management solutions like closures and limiting the amount of time a net
is left to “soak” in the water may also be relevant solutions in some cases. NFWF will support projects
that work with local fishing communities and managers to devise the best solution for each case to
eliminate bycatch or reduce it to sustainable levels.
C.
Increase in-water surveillance/monitoring and awareness about laws, penalties
Throughout the Caribbean region enforcement of existing fisheries and sea turtle protection laws is often
weak to non-existent. This fuels the perception by fishers that there is no risk to them if they don’t
comply with the laws. NFWF will invest in efforts that work with local fishing communities to prevent
bycatch or turtles, and, where appropriate, invest in increased enforcement and surveillance to ensure
compliance with existing laws. NFWF will draw upon other successful enforcement partnerships to assess
and build sustainable surveillance and monitoring capacity at hotspot locations.
Strategy II – Reduce mortality from directed fishing
While fishing for turtles has been illegal in most
countries for many years, it is still considered a source of
protein across the Caribbean region. Given that the
threat of arrest or penalty is low for fishermen that
intentionally catch sea turtles, they are often targeted
directly or
while pursuing
“The regional director of ANAM (the Panamanian
other activities
version of USFWS) was conducting an official visit to
such as diving
Zapatilla Cays to see our [NFWF supported] turtle
Figure 5. Red circle depict pilot site for new sustainable
for lobster.
enforcement strategy to address turtle fishing. This marine
project in action. While boating out to meet with our
While the
protected area is surrounded by hawksbill nesting sites
team, he and his staff spotted an illegal turtle hunter.
problem is
including Chiriquí Beach which houses the third largest
A hawksbill was already in the boat and the
widespread, it
nesting assemblage for this RMU.
fishermen had been catching turtles inside the
is in Panama
marine protected area. The director came ashore
where the estimated annual mortality from this threat greater
with the turtle and posed for this photo just before
than 1,000 turtles annually. As this is a relatively new strategy
releasing it. It was one of the first times we were
in our investment portfolio, in the first 3 years NFWF will pilot
able to impress upon him the importance of stepping
the strategy at a location in Panama that is an important interup patrols and enforcement in the region.
nesting area and migratory pathway for Hawksbills. The
Unfortunately, the agency remains chronically
objective will be to build a model that can be replicated and
underfunded and the local guys have so little training
expanded to address opportunistic fishing in Panama and other
that they only do patrols when our staff go out with
hotspots in the next 6 years of the initiative. The business plan
them and pay for the gas. This is one of the major
targets a 50% reduction in “violations/unit of effort” by
shortcomings that NFWF's new strategy would
enforcement in the first three years of this strategy to be
address.”
increased to 75% by 2018. Provided a replicable model is
achieved by year 3, the business plan would seek to have an
David Godfrey – Sea Turtle Conservancy
overall impact of saving 2,600 nesting females over the life of
the plan.
A.
Increased park enforcement capacity
Inadequate enforcement of existing laws aimed at protecting
Hawksbills is an important barrier to conservation in the region.
Factors contributing to poor enforcement include low capacity
to meet minimum enforcement needs (lack of boats, equipment,
and fuel) and an overall lack of training about regulations and
on best practices to conduct effective enforcement activities.
NFWF has previous experience supporting training for enforcement personnel and helping to build
enforcement capacity. This implementation activity will take place over the first 2 to 3 years of the
initiative and focus on building the enforcement capacity of the managers of the Bastimentos Island
National Marine Park in Panama through training, infrastructure support and by providing provide
incentives to fishermen to comply with park regulations.
B.
Replicate the Model
While the park enforcement pilot program is being developed, NFWF will conduct an assessment of
locations with similar characteristics – where improved enforcement of protected area regulations can
benefit Hawksbills – to replicate the model. NFWF will also evaluate the potential of expanding this
approach beyond the protected area boundaries.
Strategy III – Protection and enhancement of high quality nesting beaches
Hawksbills, like all sea turtles, depend on quality nesting habitat for reproduction. Degraded or loss of
habitat can deter use by nesting females and/or reduce hatch success. The quantity and quality of nesting
beaches are threatened by a variety of human actions including, but not limited to, disturbances caused by
presence human and animals such as dogs on the beach, light pollution, and coastal infrastructure. These
activities are increasing across the Caribbean even in remote sites, largely due to economic pressures.
The following three-part nesting beach protection and restoration strategy is designed to secure the top 14
nesting beaches for the Caribbean Hawksbill RMU which, together, host over 60% of the hatchling
production for this RMU. Once these beaches are secure and the populations that use them are at
sustainable and increasing levels, the focus will shift secondary beaches that, while not as high density
currently, have the greatest capacity to increase nesting production if threats are abated. Through this
strategy NFWF seeks to save 1,600 nesting females reproductive equivalents over the 10-year life of this
business plan.
A.
Assess the threat of habitat loss to the high producing nesting beaches
A preliminary survey of threats to the top 14
hawksbill nesting beaches was conducted by
NFWF to identify the type and the level of threat
affecting these priority areas. Survey participants
identified four main threats to nesting beaches
described in Figure 7. The survey also indicated
that some beaches (e.g., Mona Island in Puerto
Rico) are already under excellent protection and
have few threats to their future productivity.
Other beaches (e.g., Barbados) are plagued with
significant threats that must be addressed if the
population is to recover. In order to identify cost
effective solutions NFWF will conduct a more
detailed assessment of the beaches where
Figure 6. Map of the top 14 producing nesting beaches for the Caribbean
Hawksbill RMU that makes up 60% of the nesting productivity.
significant threats have been identified, and
evaluate which activities would likely have the
greatest impact for increasing nest productivity of Caribbean Hawksbills.
B.
Develop models for sea turtle safe waterfront development practices
NFWF will identify which of the initial 14 priority beaches are the best candidates for testing turtle
friendly waterfront development activities, taking into consideration the availability of data needed to
evaluate conservation return on investment and the suitability of the site to serve as a model for other
Figure 7. Results of preliminary survey of 14 nesting beaches indicate a broad
range of threats and severity of threats.
beaches facing similar threats. For example, NFWF may look to support proactive coastal planning to
promote more sustainable development that can co-exist with productive nesting beaches. For areas with
existing development, NFWF will support best management practice models and case-studies to
demonstrate that turtle safe practices can successfully be incorporated into industry business standards.
C.
Restore productivity on degraded priority nesting beaches
NFWF will build on its 12 year history of successful international sea turtle nesting beach conservation to
support a variety of mitigation activities to increase the quality of the habitat on priority Caribbean
Hawksbill nesting beaches identified in Part A of this strategy. Mitigation will be tailored to beach
specific threats and may include activities such as sea turtle safe lighting to reduce hatchling
disorientation and dune restoration to stabilize beaches. Due to the high number of beaches and diverse
threats in the region, the mitigation needs exceed the available budget. Therefore NFWF will pilot
mitigation practices at sites with the greatest likelihood of directly increasing beach productivity and then
support the transfer these models to other areas. In select cases, NFWF may invest in the removal of a
significant barrier (e.g., a seawall) if the modification is sustainable and opens up a significant tract of
priority nesting beach.
Initiative Budget
5-year
Estimate
10-year
Estimate
Strategy I: Reducing mortality from bycatch in set nets
Assess priority in-water Hawksbill habitat and overlying fishing threats
Develop and pilot locally relevant turtle safe gear/methods as appropriate
Increase in-water surveillance/monitoring and awareness about laws, penalties
$300,000
$600,000
$200,000
$600,000
$1,500,000
$500,000
Strategy II: Reduce mortality from directed fishing
Increase park enforcement capacity
$280,000
$600,000
$200,000
$400,000
$300,000
$700,000
$500,000
$1,000,000
$200,000
$100,000
$400,000
$500,000
$200,000
$600,000
$3,180,000
$6,500,000
Strategy III : Protection and enhancement of high quality nesting beaches
Assess the threat of habitat loss to the high producing nesting beaches
Develop models for sea turtle safe development practices
Increase productivity on priority nesting beaches where beaches have been
degraded from human activities
Monitoring and Evaluation
Strategy I bycatch reduction assessment (1-3 years + year 5 at 2 sites)
Strategy II assessment (years 1, 3, 5, 8 of mitigation at 1 site)
Strategy III assessment (years 2, 5, 8 of mitigation at 3-6 sites)
Total
Monitoring and Evaluation
Determining whether the conservation plan described here is successful is predicated on NFWFs
commitment to assessing both the performance of individual projects as well as the contribution of those
projects and strategies towards the initiative outcomes. Accordingly, standardized metrics have been
identified to measure achievement of priority activities and outcomes which will be incorporated into the
NFWF scorecard format (see pg 10). Outcomes will be measured by the number of recruits to the
population in a standardized reproductive equivalent (RRV) of nesting females – which are among the
highest valued individuals in the population and the unit that many scientists consider the standard for
monitoring population recovery . By standardizing this unit of measure, NFWF is able to compare the
potential benefit of a project to protect turtle nests on the beach vs. a project to reduce bycatch at sea.
The majority of the implementation activities will take place in years 2-6; however, monitoring of
implementation progress, threat reduction, and valuation of sea turtle mitigation will be conducted
throughout the ten-year period of the initiative. At the project level, individual grantees will monitor and
provide an update on key activity and outcome metrics in annual and
final reports. Further monitoring of sea turtle outcomes by third
To standardize the value of projects parties will also be employed where appropriate, including tapping
in the strategy, NFWF converted all into ongoing research and monitoring programs already active at
potential outcomes to a priority sites.
standardized unit of Relative At the level of the overall recovery strategy, NFWF’s in-house
Reproductive Value (RRV): evaluator will conduct an internal assessment in year 3 which will
253 Hatchlings = 1 Nesting Female examine the latest progress on reduction of key threats and the
4 Juveniles = 1 Nesting Female estimated number of nesting female reproductive equivalents saved.
1 3 Adult = 1 Nesting Female
Findings from this interim assessment will be used to inform future
decision-making to ensure success. Towards the end of this
strategy’s life cycle, a more comprehensive third-party evaluation will be conducted as part of the IUCN
Red List assessment process by hawksbill experts to see if the future trajectory of the population has
changed as projected.
Acknowledgements
Several individuals provided input to the Caribbean Hawksbill Business Plan and we would like to thank
them for their expertise and input in developing this investment strategy . Specifically we would like to
thank Cathi Campbell and Karl Didier from the Wildlife Conservation Society who drafted the first
version of the business plan and Marydele Donnelly of the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Karen Eckert of
the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network for additional insights and coordination assistance. Finally we
would like to acknowledge the hawksbill experts from the Caribbean region that joined NFWF in
developing threats, strategies, results chains and population goals for this population.
The Expert Working Group participants who contributed to this report were: Eduardo Cuevas F. Pronatura Península de Yucatán, Carlos Diez - Dept. of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto
Rico, Karen Eckert – WIDECAST: Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Julia Horrocks –
University of West Indies, Cynthia Lagueux – Wildlife Conservation Society, Yolanda León - Instituto
Tecnologico de Santo Domingo & Grupo Jaragua, Rozenn Le Scao – Martinique Office Nacional de la
Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Anne Meylan – Florida Marine Research Institute and Félix Moncada G.
– Cuba Fisheries Research Center (with assistance from José Gerhartz of WWF-Netherlands in Cuba).
Strategy
Activity
Metric
Goal
Species Outcome
Population
# individuals
22,500
Habitat Restoration
Nesting Beach
Habitat Quality
Improvements
Miles Restored
40
15,045 miles make up the 14 priority nesting beaches for this
population. Initial survey indicates 40-80 miles are in need of
restoration efforts. This goal will be finalized after the nesting
beach assessment is complete to see where NFWF can be most
effective.
Species-specific
Strategies
Reduction in
by-catch
# of turtles saved
through use of
safer gear or
fishing practices
2,500
Relevant to NFWF hotspot investment geographies identified in
Strategy I.
Capacity, Outreach,
Incentives
Outreach/
Education/
Technical
Assistance
# individuals
demonstrating a
minimum
threshold of
behavior change
TBD
Number of fishermen across priority ports identified in Strategy I
and number coastal land owners and planners across top 14
nesting beaches targeted in Strategy II (numbers to be determined
after bycatch and nesting beach assessment are complete)
Capacity, Outreach,
Incentives
Outreach/
Education/
Technical
Assistance
# individuals
reached by
outreach, training,
or technical
assistance
activities
TBD
Number of fishermen across priority ports identified in Strategy I
and number coastal land owners and planners across top 14
nesting beaches targeted in Strategy II (numbers to be determined
after bycatch and nesting beach assessment are complete)
Capacity, Outreach,
Incentives
Building
institutional
capacity
# FTE with
sufficient training
and skills engaged
in conservation
activities;
10
Enforcement officers that complete the training for addressing
directed fishing in Strategy II - Additional training may be
required for enforcement officers and managers during the
implementation of the bycatch and beach quality strategies and
the expansion of the directed fishing strategy which will be
determined after site specific assessments of these threats.
Capacity, Outreach,
Incentives
Enforcement /
Compliance
with existing
regs
Catch per unit
effort
50
% reduction of violations per unit effort of enforcement at pilot
site for directed fishing, Strategy II
Capacity, Outreach,
Incentives
Enforcement /
Compliance
with existing
regs
Miles with a
minimum level of
enforcement
presence
TBD
Patrol coverage goal for pilot site in Strategy II. Additional
enforcement investments may be tracked through Strategies I &
III which will be added to the goal if it is identified through the
assessments as a need.
Planning, Research,
Monitoring
BMP
development
# BMP
recommendations
developed
2
Development of BMPs for bycatch hotspot locations already
identified in Strategy I. Additional needs may be identified as
other hotspots are assessed and as the nesting beach mitigation
needs are determined.
Planning, Research,
Monitoring
Research
# research studies
completed
7
Assessments to prioritize specific geographies for mitigation
efforts in hotspot countries as called for in Strategies I-III.
Monitoring
# monitoring
programs
established or
underway
4
Includes monitoring plans for threat reduction in strategies I & II
and an annual nesting female monitoring program at the 14 Index
sites to evaluate impact over time to the broader population.
Planning, Research,
Monitoring
Notes
Nesting females; Caribbean population