Sea Turtles

The Bay of Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve, El Salvador's largest protected area, contains the nesting grounds for four species of sea turtles: Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill. Every year, adult turtles return to the exact area of beach where they were born to lay their eggs. They face tremendous dangers, including being caught by the nets of commercial fishing ships and being destroyed by blast fishing. The eggs themselves are often harvested by local community members, who out of economic necessity sell them on the black market to restaurants who serve them as a delicacy to wealthy city-dwellers.

Hawksbill turtles of the Eastern Pacific are the most threatened and least understood sea turtle population on the planet. Facing the overwhelming pressures of illegal egg harvesting, indiscriminate bomb fishing and habitat destruction, Hawksbills in the Pacific waters of Central and South America are on the verge of total extinction. Currently observed most frequently in El Salvador, Hawksbill face continued threats from local residents whose livelihoods are based in subsistence on coastal resources. A recent study showed that an estimated 70% to 90% of Eastern Hawksbill nesting areas in the world are found in the Bay of Jiquilisco protected area. Hawksbills are one of the only turtle species known to nest under mangrove trees.

Unfortunately, a 2007-2008 study conducted nationwide by the Zoological Foundation of El Salvador determined that 98.5% of all observed sea turtle nests nationwide were poached, a practice which persists due to the poverty faced by local communities and a lack of alternative income sources. In addition, local use of destructive fishing techniques employing bombs and industrial chemicals cause high mortality rates among adult Hawksbill and other highly endangered sea turtle species. We are working with local communities to create alternative income strategies, sustainable fishing cooperatives, and sea turtle hatcheries to protect the Hawksbill and other turtle species who rely on the Bay of Jiquilisco for their very survival. Read more about our efforts to save sea turtles.