The trade in Hawksbill Turtles Eretmochelys imbricata, medium-sized cheloniids with a pan-tropical distribution, has been recognized as a key threat to their conservation in the wild, and has greatly contributed to the species being listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List. During the 1970s and 1980s, several market surveys were conducted in Papua New Guinea to determine the levels of trade in Hawksbill turtles.