Specific Objective F.Specific Objective F.

Specific Objective F.

1. Marine Turtle Conservation in the Asia/Pacific

Australia shares its marine turtle populations with other neighbouring countries in the Asia/Pacific region where turtles go to feed or breed. The cultures and management regimes within those nations will differ from Australia’s.

Australia has provided support for marine turtle management in the region, in particular under the Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region (SPREP) for its Regional Marine Turtle Program (RMTP). The RMTP was an Australian initiative to establish a regionally based program that would coordinate marine turtle conservation and management of shared marine turtle populations (Spring 1994). A review of the RMTP to evaluate its success would be valuable in determining if the program has achieved its conservation objectives.

Australia has recently agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats in the Indian Ocean and South East Asia (MoU) that will operate under the Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). This MoU provides the framework on which Australia can work cooperatively with regional neighbours on activities to improve the conservation status of shared marine turtle populations. The focus of the MoU is to provide protection for marine turtle habitat, manage direct harvest and trade, reduce threats and provide for research, education, information exchange and capacity building.

Table 29. Prescribed action to improve regional conservation of marine turtles