Global Issues of Marine Turtle Conservation

Frameworks for International Collaboration

Liz McLellan

Global Species Programme/Asia Pacific Marine Turtle Conservation

13th September 2006

Multilateral Environmental Agreements

What are the benefits?

• Collectively decide upon actions at the national, regional and international level

• Implement shared goals of conservation and sustainable use

• Complementary approaches

and operational tools

Gulf States Parties to MEAs and MOUs

Country CBD FAO CMS IOSEA CITES

United Arab Emirates

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Yemen

Bahrain

Oman

Islamic Republic of Iran

Kuwait

1) All Gulf States are signatories

2) Convention requires Signatories to develop national biodiversity strategies and action plans

3) Not regulatory but legally binding

4) Signatories implement a collectively agreed Programme of Works - Marine + Protected Areas particularly relevant to marine turtles

CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals)

Not regulatory, but legally binding

Appendix I - Migratory species threatened with extinction throughout all

or a significant proportion of their range

Appendix II - Migratory species that have an unfavourable

conservation status or that would significantly benefit from international co-operation

Saudi Arabia and Yemen are Signatories

The Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional Agreements, or MoUs – e.g.IOSEA

• The only regulatory MEA – power to restrict or stop wildlife trade

• Provides a framework – Parties must adopt their own domestic legislation to implement CITES at the national level.

• Around 5,000 species of animals and 25,000 species of plants are protected by CITES.

Appendix I bans commercial trade in species threatened with extinction.

Appendix II regulates international trade in species whose survival in the wild may be threatened if levels of trade are not regulated.

Appendix III is a list of species included at the request of a Party that needs the cooperation of other countries to help prevent illegal exploitation.

CITES Committees – representation in the Gulf States

•The Standing Committee - Representatives for Asia: China, Japan and Malaysia; alternates: India, UAE and Jordan

•The Animal and Plant Committees - Representatives for Asia: Iran and Indonesia.

Marine Turtle listings

Marine turtle species IUCN Red List CMS listing CITES listing

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Critically Endangered

Appendix I & II Appendix I

Green turtle

(Chelonia mydas)

Endangered Appendix I & II Appendix I

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

Endangered Appendix I & II Appendix I

Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Endangered Appendix I & II Appendix I

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Critically Endangered

Appendix I & II Appendix I

Hawksbill shells - bekko

The hawksbill trade

Gulf States Signatories

Oman

Iran

Saudi Arabia

• Conservation of marine turtles and their habitats

• 24 signatories to date

• Non-legally binding regional MOU under CMS

IOSEA Conservation and Management Plan Objectives

1. Reduce direct and indirect causes of marine turtle mortality

2. Protect, conserve and rehabilitate marine turtle habitats

3. Improve understanding of marine turtle ecology and populations through research, monitoring and information exchange

4. Increase public awareness of the threats to marine turtles and their habitats, and enhance public participation in conservation activities

5. Enhance national, regional and international cooperation

6. Promote implementation of the MoU including the Conservation and Management Plan

Outcomes of IOSEA 4 years on

• CMP – broad framework for action, vehicle for regional collaboration,

• Website – clearing house and showcase for progress

• National reporting against CMP (+FAO Technical Guidelines) – some analysis of progress

• IMAPs

• Species assessments led by Scientific Committee

What else needs to happen?

Priorities for action from CMP, targets and indicators to measure progress against

Funding base needs to be broadened in order to deliver outcomes

Year of the Turtle 2006“Cooperating to Conserve Marine Turtles – our Ocean's Ambassadors”

CELEBRATE marine turtles

ENSURE a future

SAVE a marine turtle habitat

REDUCE turtle mortality

STUDY your turtles

http://www.ioseaturtles.org/yot2006/index.php

FAO – Technical Guidelines on Reducing Sea Turtle Mortality in Fishing Operations

• 25th Session of FAO COFI - recommendation for review and, if appropriate, guidelines be drawn up

• Technical Consultation held in 2004, Technical Guidelines being developed

• Outcomes of Tech Consultation endorsed by COFI 26th Session

• Actions for FAO, Member States and RFMOs

• Covers all fishing gears, both commercial and artisanal

• All Gulf States are Member States of FAO and are required to observe Guidelines

Outcomes: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/009/j3941e.pdf

FAO "Reduction of environmental impact from tropical shrimp trawling" project

12 countries + SEAFDEC (IGO)

Gulf State participants : Bahrain, Iran

“Preliminary results (Mexico) show a by-catch reduction of 30 percent to 60 per cent…….a reduction in fuel consumption and a 20 percent increase in the shrimp

catch,” UNEP News Release 2006/39

ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/DOCUMENT/rebyc/BycatchBook_Final_05.pdf

Regional Fisheries Management Organisations

• Increasingly, RFMOs are broadening approach and mandates to include ecosystem effects of fishing

• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission – seabird bycatch draft resolution 2006, no marine turtle resolution to date

• Iran and Oman are members

• IOSEA has attended Working Party Bycatch meetings

Multilateral Environmental Agreements can provide a valuable framework for the conservation of migratory species such as marine turtles