Of the six species of marine turtle in Papua New Guinea, the green turtle Chelonia mydas and the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata are the most common and the most utilized in the Port Moresby region. This paper describes a study carried out in 1989, which monitored the trade in green turtles in the country's main market and the sale of tortoiseshell in a major shopping centre. The price of turtle meat was higher than that of some common reef fish, but cost less when fish was abundant. The commercial trade in tortoiseshell appeared to be negligible. As the urban population increases it is likely that demand for turtle meat will also increase. If this food resource is to be managed sustainably the size of the turtle population needs to be determined. The University of Papua New Guinea is supporting marine turtle field studies and a sea turtle education programme, but more needs to be done to ensure the survival of PNG's marine turtles.

This paper examines the current status and distribution of primates in Gabon on the basis of data collected in the field between 1985 and 1988. There are at least 19 and possibly 21 species of primates definitely present in Gabon, making it one of the richest countries in the world for primates. Most of the species are still widespread and one, the sun-tailed guenon, is endemic. Hunting and habitat destruction are the main threats to the country's primates. The major problem at the moment is the opening up of previously inaccessible areas by logging companies and the Trans Gabon railway, which leads to an increase in hunting pressure. Several species are threatened; the mandrill/drill, the black colobus, and the sun-tailed guenon need special conservation measures. Suggestions for action are made and several new reserves have recently been proposed.

The Liberian mongoose Liberiictis kuhni, the only member of its genus, was described as a new species from skulls in 1958. The first two complete specimens were obtained as recently as 1974. Although several more animals have been captured since then, all in Liberia, the species's status and ecology remain poorly known. In 1988 the FFPS contributed £500 towards a field study of the mongoose in Liberia and while this expedition succeeded in finding only one animal that had been killed by a hunter, a subsequent attempt in 1989 was more successful.

Bornean gibbons Hylobates muelleri are protected by law in Sarawak, but their habitat is being destroyed, they are illegally hunted, and they are captured for the pet trade. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at Semengok Forest Reserve, which is run by the National Parks and Wildlife Office of the Sarawak Forest Department, receives confiscated gibbons and those surrendered by the general public. Between October 1976 and June 1988,122 gibbons were received and 87 were subsequently released. The rate of survival was unknown until the author organized a survey of the forest at Semengok in 1988. It revealed that about 90 per cent of the gibbons did not survive long after release. The author discusses the reasons for this high mortality rate, the shortcomings of rehabilitation as a conservation tool, the problems facing the conservation authorities, and options for dealing with confiscated primates.

The green turtle Chelonia mydas is one of two marine turtle species to nest in Turkey. Its three main nesting beaches are in eastern Turkey, with possibly the densest congregation of nesting turtles in the Mediterranean being found at Kazanli. However, beach erosion, hatchling predation, agricultural encroachment and chemical pollution mean that the future of the Kazanli nest site is uncertain. The Turkish Society for the Protection of Nature (Dogal Hayati Koruma Dernegi) is making valiant efforts to protect all the turtle nesting beaches in Turkey but lacks detailed information on the numbers of nesting turtles on many beaches. This paper describes a short study of nesting turtles at Kazanli during 1990 and makes recommendations for the conservation of the nesting beach.

Tanzania's remaining fragments of coastal forests support rich biological communities, but these are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and land-use pressures because of their very limited size. Until recently little attention has been paid to these areas and and it is probable that all the most important forest areas have not yet even been recognized. Conservation measures are needed urgently and while these have been incorporated into the Tanzanian Forestry Action Plan, funding has not been identified.

The rugged islands where the original Robinson Crusoe was marooned in the south-east Pacific are remarkable for the number and variety of endemic plants, some of which are pollinated by a beautiful endemic hummingbird. They are also the main breeding station of a fur seal, which once numbered millions but was later thought to be extinct, and several widespread seabirds. So far the only losses appear to be the endemic sandalwoods and widespread elephant seal, but the other wildlife is now threatened by deforestation, erosion and competition or predation from introduced species. There is a need for more support for local conservation measures, since the islands may soon start to undergo rapid development.

A small area of forest on Luisenga tea estate has been declared a nature reserve by Brooke Bond Tanzania Limited. Luisenga is at the southern end of the endemic-rich Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania and contains a number of plant and animal species of restricted distribution and conservation importance.