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

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 instrumentsthat have been developed specifically for enhancing

marine turtle conservation management, commencing 1981.

IS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IMPROVING THE STATUS OF MARINE TURTLE POPUlATIONS?

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??

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE CONSERVATIONAND 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

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

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

MANY POPULATIONSIN RECOVERY

FROM PRE-2001 ACTIONS

WIDER CARIBBEAN SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION NETWORK (WIDECAST)

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

MANY POPULATIONSIN RECOVERY

EVERY COUNTRY HAS A LOCAL WIDECAST COUNTRY COORDINATOR AND AN IDENTIFIED PERSON/AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION

COMMENCED IN 1981

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 SPREADTAKE OF TURTLE & EGG

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

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

CORALSEA

EAST AUSTRALIAN

CURRENTCaretta caretta: EASTERN AUSTRALIA

NESTING FEMALES

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

CURVED CARAPACE LENGTH (cm)

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LOGGERHEAD TURTLES IN THE SOUTH PACIFICA CANDIDATE FOR A “SINGLE SPECIES ACTION PLAN”

Caretta caretta: PERU

POST-HATCHLINGS FROM LONG-LINE FISHERIES

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LONGLINEBYCATCH

NESTINGCaretta caretta: EASTERN AUSTRALIA

NSW: POST-HATCHLINGS

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POST-HATCHLINGS

Caretta caretta: EASTERN AUSTRALIA

RECRUITMENT TO COASTAL WATERS

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COASTALRECRUITMENT

PERU&

CHILE

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PACIFICOCEAN

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 CONSERVATIONWITHIN RAMSAR SITES