Sea turtle conservation in the Dominican Republic : the importance of national parks

Abstract

Despite the existence, since 1962, of Dominican laws for the protection of sea turtles, hawksbills are captured frequently for the use of meat and carapace for the tortoiseshell trade. These threats mandate urgent action to promote the conservation of sea turtles in the DR. The Jaragua National Park (south-west DR) has been proposed as one of the most important aggregations for juvenile hawksbills in the world.