The International Union for the Conservation of Nature is an international organization that
monitors the state of the world’s species and determines their risk of extinction, or the risk of
species disappearing forever. It ranks species that are at risk from threats like those mentioned
above and decides whether they are at great risk (critically endangered) or at lower levels of risk
(vulnerable). For the 6 species of sea turtles in the Pacific, IUCN ranks them as follows:

Leatherback Turtle                    critically endangered
Hawksbill Turtle                         critically endangered
Kemp’s Ridley Turtle                 critically endangered
Olive Ridley Turtle                     endangered
Loggerhead Turtle                     endangered
Flatback Turtle                           endangered
Green Turtle                               vulnerable

Because these species are categorized as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable,
national governments make laws about how to protect these animals so that their numbers
can recover. International organizations encourage national governments to create laws by
designing international conventions.

One of the major international conventions that encourage governments to act on the decline of
marine turtles is the Convention on International Trades in Endangered Species (CITES). This
convention exists to encourage national governments to prevent the illegal trade in endangered
animals and their products. In the case of marine turtles, national governments that sign
this convention promise to prevent the trade of such things. Currently, Solomon Islands
government is not yet a signatory to CITES, although many other South Pacific countries are.

While it still has not ratified CITES, Solomon Islands does have several national and provincial
laws that aim to protect marine turtles. The Solomon Islands Fisheries Regulations state that
it is illegal to sell, buy or export any turtle or part or product of any turtle and that it is illegal
to take turtles or eggs or to destroy turtle nests or eggs during the turtle nesting seasons from
June to August and from November to January. The Solomon Islands Wildlife Protection
and Management Act also prohibits the export of any turtle or part of any turtle. Finally, the
Western Province Resource Management Ordinance states that all marine turtles of any species
are a prohibited resource. This means that no killing of turtles or taking of eggs is allowed.

All of these laws exist to ensure that turtle populations can recover to their former healthy and
sustainable levels.