Trade of hawksbill carapaces in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract

The industry of craftsmanship in the Dominican Republic is developing day by day, and one facet of this industry is the processing of the hawksbill carapace and its scales. This study shows evidence of the illegal trade of sea turtle products in the developed tourist areas of the Dominican Republic and of the need for suitable management and control of the sea turtle species. This country is protecting the sea turtles by Fisher Law No. 5914 (1962), and it ratified the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 1987. Previous studies about population status, distribution, breeding biology, exploitation, and management of sea turtles were conducted in the Dominican Republic (Ottenwalder, 1981, 1987). The main objective of this study is to collect data in order to develop an Environmental Information Program for the Tourist (PIAT) and for the Manatee and Sea Turtle National Conservation Project (PCMTM) that are being designed by PAD.