Any restraint that was exercised was probably due not to an intuitive understanding of turtle population dynamics, but to low human density, technological limitations to the processes of turtle harvesting, transport and storage, and limited opportunity for trading.There are now many more people Inhabiting tropical coasts than there were at the turn of the century; more beaches and foraging grounds are easily accessible due to the construction of roads; fishing communities have aluminium boats.14.For both Green Turtle and Hawksbill, in virtually every case where decline is known or suspected, exploitation is established or implicated as turtle populations, not population-specific management programmes based on a detailed assessment of individual turtle stocks.A questionnaire designed to elicit basic information, and to apprise us of recent research, was circulated to the Management Authorities of all states Party to CITES and to a number of other individuals. Particular issues were pursued by more detailed correspondence, and by literature search.All trade in Chelonia mydas , Eretmochelys imbricata or Cheloniidae recorded in CITES Annual Reports between 1977 and 1985 (reports received before March 1987) was analysed and trade in turtle products recorded in published Customs statistics was also considered.