MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION

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MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION VIA CMS AND OTHER
INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS. REPORT TO
STRATEGIC AND PLANNING MEETING CMS SCIENTIFIC
COUNCIL, FORMIA (ITALY), 9-11 OCTOBER 2013.
Dr Colin Limpus, Scientific Councillor, Marine
Turtles
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CMS marine turtle conservation actions 1995
appointed Scientific Councillor, marine
turtles 1999 MoU Atlantic Coast of
Africa 2001 MoU Indian Ocean South East Asia
BUT THERE ARE OTHER international
instruments that have been developed specifically
for enhancing marine turtle conservation
management, commencing 1981.
IS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IMPROVING THE
STATUS OF MARINE TURTLE POPUlATIONS?
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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING CONCERNING
CONSERVATION MEASURES FOR MARINE TURTLES OF THE
ATLANTIC COAST OF AFRICA

• SINCE 2008
• NO FUNCTIONAL SECRETARIAT
• NO WEBSITE
• NO DELIVERY OF ACTION PLAN
• INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION??

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE
CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF MARINE TURTLES AND
THEIR HABITATS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN AND
SOUTH-EAST ASIA

• DYNAMIC SECRETARIAT
• EXCELLENT WEBSITE SUPPORT
• INTER-GOVERNMENT SUCCESSES
• SLOW CHANGE WITHIN COUNTRIES

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THE INTER AMERICAN CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION
AND CONSERVATION OF SEA TURTLES

• FUNCTIONAL SECRETARIAT
• WEBSITE SUPPORT
• STRONG IN-COUNTRY SUPPORT
• STRONG NGO SUPPORT

MANY POPULATIONS IN RECOVERY FROM PRE-2001 ACTIONS
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WIDER CARIBBEAN SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION NETWORK
(WIDECAST)
EVERY COUNTRY HAS A LOCAL WIDECAST COUNTRY
COORDINATOR AND AN IDENTIFIED PERSON/AGENCY
RESPONSIBLE FOR SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION
COMMENCED IN 1981

• NGO PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVERNMENTS
• WITHIN UNEP
• CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
• DYNAMIC SUPPORT FOR IN-COUNTRY ACTIONS

MANY POPULATIONS IN RECOVERY
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SOUTH PACIFIC REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
(SPREP) MARINE SPECIES PROGRAMME

• SECRETARIAL SUPPORT
• GOOD EDUCATION TRAINING COMPONENTS
• EMPHASIS ON TAGGING TELEMETRY
• POOR SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE HARVEST
• LIMITED FUNDING
• LOW HUMAN POPULATIONS
• DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

WIDE SPREAD TAKE OF TURTLE EGG
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1996 MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF PHILIPPINES AND THE
GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
THE TURTLE ISLANDS HERITAGE PROTECTED AREA

• RECOVERING POPULATIONS
• SABAH SUSTANABLE ECOTOURISM
• PHILIPPINES SOME EGG HARVEST
• STRONG GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

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• Significant THREATENING PROCESSES currently
  impacting
• multiple marine turtle populations include
• FISHERIES BYCATCH IN COASTAL WATER
• FISHERIES BYCATCH IN OPEN OCEAN
• INGESTION OF SYNTHETIC DEBRIS
• ENTANGLEMENT IN MARINE DEBRIS
• EXCESSIVE HARVEST OF TURTLES
• EXCESSIVE HARVEST OF EGS
• EXCESSIVE EGG LOSS TO PREDATORS
• COASTAL DEVELOPMENT HABITAT LOSS/DEGRADATION
• COASTAL DEVELOPMENT - ALTERED LIGHT HORIZONS
• AT NESTING BEACHES
• CLIMATE CHANGE

• NEED CONSERVATION EFFORTS FROM
• OVER ARCHING ACTIONS FROM OCEAN BASIN
  PERSPECTIVE
• BILATERAL/MULTINATIONAL INTERNATIONAL
  COOPERATION
• WITHIN COUNTRY GOVERNMENT
• LOCAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL ISSUES

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LOGGERHEAD TURTLES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC A
CANDIDATE FOR A SINGLE SPECIES ACTION PLAN
COASTAL RECRUITMENT
LONGLINE BYCATCH
CORAL SEA
EAST AUSTRALIAN CURRENT
PERU CHILE
NESTING
POST-HATCHLINGS
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NOT CLEAR SEPARATION COOPERATION IN DELIVERY
OF INTERNATIONAL MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION CMS
IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group
POOR LIAISON BETWEEN CMS RAMSAR FOR MAXIMISING
MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION WITHIN RAMSAR SITES