Hawksbill nesting occurs in many places on small and isolated beaches little used by other turtles, as well as in the midst of more dense nesting by other species. Information on renesting by Hawksbills is very sparse. Hawksbills lay one to four clutches of 100 to 160 eggs per year. Many littoral peoples have used tortoiseshell for artefacts and jewellery, but continuing demand in international trade has raised shell prices to the point where Hawksbills are pursued even when only rarely encountered. Other threats are the widespread sale of polished carapaces, also stuffed and mounted young Hawksbills, as curios.
Japan consumes nearly all tortoiseshell in international trade.
Hawksbill eggs are eaten by man in most parts of the range and adults are also eaten widely. Highly effective spearguns are replacing less efficient nets as hunting equipment in some areas, notably the Caribbean. Eggs are widely utilized along with those of other marine turtles. Habitat destruction, notably loss of nesting beaches, is a further threat, in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the eastern Caribbean, for example. Nominally protected by legislation in much of the range, often ineffectually.