1. 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

2. 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?

3. 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??

4. 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

5. 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

6. WIDER CARIBBEAN SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION NETWORK (WIDECAST) NGO PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVERNMENTS WITHIN UNEP CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME DYNAMIC SUPPORT FOR IN-COUNTRY ACTIONS MANY POPULATIONS IN RECOVERY EVERY COUNTRY HAS A LOCAL WIDECAST COUNTRY COORDINATOR AND AN IDENTIFIED PERSON/AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION COMMENCED IN 1981

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. CORAL SEA EAST AUSTRALIAN CURRENT LOGGERHEAD TURTLES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC A CANDIDATE FOR A “SINGLE SPECIES ACTION PLAN” LONGLINE BYCATCH NESTING POST-HATCHLINGS COASTAL RECRUITMENT PERU & CHILE

11. 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