By Anders Lorenzen

Due to their passion for ocean conservation and sea turtles specifically, the rum brand Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum is donating 10% of all its profits to turtle conservation projects in the Caribbean.

Launched in October 2020, Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum aims specifically to help save endangered Hawksbill turtles and is partnered with the Barbados Sea Turtle Project, based at the University of the West Indies, which has a mission to recover marine turtle populations. 10% of the profits from Hawksbill sales will go directly towards turtle conservation projects in the Caribbean.

Hawksbill turtles

Hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles are Critically Endangered. The primary cause of their peril is over-harvesting of them by man for the shell, meat and eggs, for instance, tortoiseshell jewellery is made from the hawksbill shell, and canned turtle soup was once made using green turtle meat.

The threats 

Over the last century, sea turtle populations have significantly declined due to overexploitation and population recovery is happening very slowly. It is estimated that only 1 in every 1,000 hatchlings will survive to 25-30 years of age when they can begin to reproduce. A large number of turtles are also accidentally caught and drowned in fishing nets and long-line fishing gear and tourism are having a severe impact on wildlife for instance where nesting beaches are under threat due to beachfront developments. Sea walls, buildings, and boulders limit the spaces available for nesting females to deposit their eggs which forces turtles to nest in suboptimal areas of the beach where entire clutches may be washed away by high tides. Other animals like mongooses, domestic dogs and cats can also dig into nests, eating eggs or hatchlings.

Drink and eat with the planet in mind

Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum brings together Caribbean rums from Trinidad and Guyana, as well as its own distinctive blend of spices such as vanilla, toasted nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, raisins and sea salt. 

The bottle features a plant-based in printed label with paper produced from sugarcane fibre, the cork is made from waste materials and the bottle itself is made with sustainable materials and is recyclable.

The team at Hawksbill encourages people to both drink, eat and behave with the planet in mind as our consumption habits are pushing the planet to the breaking point.  

The Hawksbill team recognises the indisputable link between on-land waste, its journey littering the sea and ultimately its disastrous impact on the ocean’s ecosystem and wildlife, they’re taking part in park and beach clean-ups and encourage their customers to do the same via litter picking events or beach clean-ups where they live.

They also encourage shifting to more sustainable diets to relieve our planet of the burdens of animal agriculture, a huge contributor to ecological destruction, and that their customers grow of their own drink ingredients, such as ginger, and other drink garnishes. Find out how to get your hand on a bottle of Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum and help conserve sea turtles here.