Wildlife officials ask public to respect nesting turtles

Federal and state authorities are asking people to respect sea turtles during their summer nesting season.

Two sea turtle species nest in Hawaii, the green sea turtle or honu and the hawksbill turtle or honu ea.

Hawaii’s honu are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Ninety percent of them nest at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The remainder nest in the main Hawaiian islands.

The honu ea is an endangered species. It nests primarily on Hawaii, Molokai and Maui islands.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a statement yesterday asking people watch sea turtles from a distance.