The greatest cause of decline and primary threat is their incidental capture in fishing nets - usually those of shrimp trawlers. Egg collection by humans was an extreme threat to the population, but since nesting beaches were given official protection in 1966, the situation has improved. In 2006, a record number of nests were recorded since monitoring began in 1978 - 7,866 out of 12,143 of them at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico.

For more detailed information visit: www.nmfs.noaa.gov or www.dec.state.ny.us