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 instruments
that 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 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
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
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
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
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
LOGGERHEAD TURTLES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
A CANDIDATE FOR A “SINGLE SPECIES ACTION PLAN”
#####
####
##
#####
##
#### #
#
PACIFIC
OCEAN COASTAL
#
##
#
RECRUITMENT
Caretta caretta: EASTERN AUSTRALIA
RECRUITMENT TO COASTAL WATERS
60
FREQUENCY
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
LONGLINE
BYCATCH
CURVED CARAPACE LENGTH (cm)
#
Caretta caretta: PERU
POST-HATCHLINGS FROM LONG-LINE FISHERIES
CORAL
SEA
8
##
FREQUENCY
##
#
#
##
ö#
###
##
ö##ö##
10
#
#
EAST
AUSTRALIAN
CURRENT
0
#
ö
0
NESTING
NESTING FEMALES
20
POST-HATCHLINGS
Caretta caretta: EASTERN AUSTRALIA
20
15
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
CURVED CARAPACE LENGTH (cm)
90
100
110
FREQUENCY
FREQUENCY
NSW: POST-HATCHLINGS
10
5
10
5
0
0
10
20
10
PERU
&
CHILE
Caretta caretta: EASTERN AUSTRALIA
0
4
2
###
#
#
15
6
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
CURVED CARAPACE LENGTH (cm)
100
110
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
CURVED CARAPACE LENGTH (cm)
90
100
110
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