AUTHOR=Ji Xinyu , Wang Zhao , Zhang Ting , Chen Dehui , Yang Wenxiang , Li Meimei , Shi Haitao , Lin Liu 

TITLE=Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1498647

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2024.1498647

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Illegal wildlife trade is one of the most profitable illegal businesses worldwide. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and has long been an important target of illegal wildlife trade worldwide, greatly threatening its population survival. Hainan Island is the largest trading area and the most important transit point for the illegal trade of hawksbill turtles in China; however, very few investigations have been reported here. In this study, we conducted field investigations of the illegal trade of hawksbill turtle products in 9 cities on Hainan Island from 2019 to 2020. The results demonstrated that 157 (17.9%) of the 878 surveyed shops sold hawksbill turtle products in 2019, totaling 6,208 pieces, while 122 (13.6%) of the 895 surveyed shops sold hawksbill turtle products in 2020, totaling 1,821 pieces. Both the number of shops selling hawksbill turtle products and the total number of products decreased in 2020, especially the number of products. The most serious illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products occurred in Haikou and Sanya, the capital city of Hainan and China's most famous tourist city, respectively. Jewelry and craft shops produced the most products, accounting for 98.0% of the shops surveyed. Accessories such as bracelets and necklaces accounted for the highest proportion of hawksbill turtle products-72.5% in 2019 and 92.9% in 2020. Factors such as the strengthening of government law enforcement and supervision after the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift in illegal trade from offline to online, and the decrease in tourists contributed to the decline in illegal trade in 2020. Strict law enforcement and supervision are suggested to continue to effectively combat illegal trade, especially in the key areas of illegal trade in Haikou and Sanya. Public education should, therefore, be strengthened to promote animal conservation and legal awareness. The findings of this research will serve as a vital reference for relevant law enforcement agencies, aiding in the effective combat and prevention of the illegal hawksbill turtle trade in China.