The path from grey literature to Red Lists

This paper concerns the process by which Red List designations are decided and supported; it does not concern whether the past or present Red List categorizations are correct. We argue that, contrary to statements extolling the scientific and authoritative nature of the Red List, the reality for some species falls far short of these ideals. The prominent role played by the grey literature is an important factor in these problems. We use the case of the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata as an example of the problems with relying on unavailable grey literature, but similar problems apply to various taxa classified in the Red List.