Punta Amapala, El Salvador

Protecting nests at a critically important hawksbill nesting site on El Salvador’s eastern coast.

After carrying out various investigations in El Salvador, in partnership with allied organizations, ICAPO-El Salvador and FUNZEL helped identify the most important nesting sites for hawksbills in the country. ICAPO-El Salvador has carried out hawksbill conservation efforts on the beaches of Punta Amapala since 2014. Punta Amapala is one of the most important nesting sites for the species in El Salvador and the eastern Pacific, receiving 25-40 nests per year. ICAPO-El Salvador also supports hawksbill conservation work in Los Cobanos and is collaborating with to establish a marine protected area at Punta Amapala. This latest effort will require time, but we know it will be an important conservation model for hawksbills.

Impact

• Protection of the third most important hawksbill nesting beach in El Salvador.
• Contribute to the hawksbill conservation program at El Maculis, El Salvador.

Programs

Conservation strategies used by this project site:

Nesting Beach Conservation

Protected Area Management

Outreach and Education

Policy Advocacy

Implementing Organization

• ICAPO – El Salvador

ICAPO’s Role with Implementing Organization

• Communication with other organizations (information link)
• Access funding sources
• Funding proposals
• Joint management (planning and implementation, reporting)
• Technical advising (capacity-building, training, protocol/methodology development)
• Research and publications collaboration
• Creation of a marine protected area at Punta Amapala

Allied Organizations

• Fundación Zoologica de El Salvador (FUNZEL)