UN Marine Turtle Conference Ends on a High Note

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UNEP

2005-04-01 09:05

Bangkok--(뉴스와이어)--A three-day conference on marine turtle conservation, bringing together officials and experts from 25 countries around the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia has ended positively, with agreement on plans for a major awareness campaign in 2006.

A region-wide "Year of the Turtle" initiative will draw attention to the dramatic declines in turtle populations in many parts of their range, as well as the complex social and economic issues that need to be tackled if the situation is to be reversed.

The campaign is to be organised under the umbrella of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA) Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding, which is coordinated from an office of the United Nations Environment Programme in
Bangkok. The agreement puts in place a broad set of measures aimed at
conserving habitat that marine turtles require for their survival, as well as addressing specific threats such egg collection and interactions with coastal and offshore fisheries, known to be important sources of turtle mortality.

Douglas Hykle, who runs the secretariat overseeing the activities of the IOSEA MoU, said the conference represents a symbolic turning point. "The problems facing marine turtles in this region have been recognized for many years, but this is the first time they have been seriously discussed among so many governments with a common commitment to take action."

The meeting had before it the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of measures in place to conserve marine turtles and their habitats of the vast area covered by the agreement. The report found that while much progress had been made to carry out vital research and raise awareness, many serious problems remain to be tackled.

The accidental killing of turtles in fishing gear poses one of the most serious threats. xRegional fisheries management organizations have a major role to play in encouraging the introduction of alternative gear and other devices to reduce these impacts. The meeting emphasized the need for the IOSEA agreement to strengthen ties to these organizations and to
monitor the application of new guidelines aimed at reducing fisheries-related mortality.

"Simply trying to impose a ban on harmful activities is unlikely to be successful, especially if there are inadequate resources for enforcement", said Mr. Hykle. "Solutions to issues as complex as these require anunderstanding of the societal and economic factors at play, and careful discussion and negotiation with all of the stakeholders concerned."

Even seemingly positive endeavours, such as the creation of hatcheries to incubate eggs taken from the wild, came under scrutiny at the meeting. While useful in some instances to protect eggs that would otherwise be lost to poachers or natural phenomena, poorly operated hatcheries can be a significant drain on the production of viable turtle hatchlings in the wild.

There was widespread support among delegates for a proposal introduced at the meeting to develop a network of sites of importance for marine turtles, linked to the IOSEA MoU. The aim is to promote greater awareness and recognition of these sites by communities and decision-makers, in order to ensure their long-term viability.

By adding its signature to the Memorandum of Understanding on the final day of the conference, the Government of Indonesia confirmed its intention to support region-wide efforts to conserve and manage turtle populations. On signing the agreement, Indonesia's Ambassador to Thailand, H. E. Ibrahim Yusuf, said: "The Government of Indonesia is aware of the importance of regional cooperation to manage the species in a sustainable manner [and it] calls on other Signatory States and other partners such as NGOs to support our efforts?"

Australia has reinforced its commitment to the growing turtle conservation initiative by agreeing to provide another staff member to the IOSEA MoU Secretariat through its development assistance programme (AusAID), and by announcing additional funding for "Year of the Turtle" activities.

The meeting also acknowledged the important contributions to the implementation of the IOSEA conservation plan made by non-governmental organisations. About 15 NGOs from countries throughout the region were represented in Bangkok, including several offices of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). WWF used the gathering to release a new publication: "Turtle Islands - Resources and Livelihoods under Threat" ? an insightful case study from the Philippines. ProFauna Indonesia circulated a new report containing the results of its extensive investigation of the Hawksbill trade in Indonesia.

The IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU is one of a suite of intergovermental agreements aimed at conserving migratory species, concluded under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), headquartered in Bonn, Germany.

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