Transcript No Slide Title

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
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Qatar
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Saudi Arabia
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Yemen
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Bahrain
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Oman
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Islamic Republic of
Iran
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Kuwait
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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
Appendix I bans commercial
trade in species threatened with
extinction.
• Provides a framework – Parties
must adopt their own domestic
legislation to implement CITES
at the national level.
Appendix II regulates
international trade in species
whose survival in the wild may be
threatened if levels of trade are
not regulated.
• Around 5,000 species of
animals and 25,000 species of
plants are protected by CITES.
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
The hawksbill trade
Hawksbill shells - bekko
• Conservation of marine turtles
and their habitats
• 24 signatories to date
• Non-legally binding regional
MOU under CMS
Gulf States Signatories
Oman
Iran
Saudi Arabia
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/j3
941e.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 bycatch 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