Two hawksbill turtles, one of which was electronic monitoring because the species is endangered, were found dead in the Pacific in El Salvador, reported today by a variety of sources.
The specimens were found yesterday in the waters of the Bay of Jiquilisco, Usulutan (center), said spokesman for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
He added that one of the turtles, called “Manglita” was recently installed a monitoring team to know their habits, as part of a project of the international program of the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative, MARN and environmental organizations.
“Manglita” apparently died of an explosive used by artisanal fishermen and the other turtle was choked with a hook of a network that was caught.
As reported in Thursday’s Diary Today, the fishermen pulled the electronic equipment to “Manglita” and destroyed the shell to the other. Both turtles were buried on the Jiquilisco beach yesterday.
The Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies the hawksbill turtle as species that are critically endangered, according to experts at a regional forum on these turtles in San Salvador.
It was under the forum that the monitoring equipment was installed in three turtles, including “Manglita” in a ceremony held at the Bay of Jiquilisco.
Experts said it is estimated that there are only about 500 copies of hawksbill turtles in the Eastern Pacific tropical waters, from the U.S. to South America, an area in which El Salvador is considered as the largest nesting species.
Given the threats facing the species, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as other organizations develop conservation projects, including the protection of eggs from nesting areas.
El Salvador maintains a permanent ban of the use of eggs and other products of the four species of turtles that live on its shores like the hawksbill, leatherback, olive ridley and brown since 2009.
