45 nations join hands to save marine turtles

Eight countries have signed while at least two dozen others are expected to sign an agreement to work together for the preservation of marine turtles which have been overexploited and are now in danger of disappearing from the face of the earth.

The preservation of marine turtles in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia was the subject of a conference participated in by 45 countries at the Westin Philippine Plaza last week. The conference was organized and sponsored by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and governments of the United States and United Kingdom.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez opened the conference. Emphasizing the big task that the group is facing, Alvarez said: "We are challenged to come up with responses to the threat to these species of turtles. The challenge is awesome, and we are building the capacity, the sensitivity and the intelligence to strengthen our ability to protect marine turtles and their habitats."

He expressed his desire for the delegates to come up with the best possible conservation and management plan to achieve the objective of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the conservation and management of marine turtles of the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia building on the accomplishments of previous meetings held in Australia in October 1999 and in Malaysia in 2000.

The eight countries which signed will implement the provisions of the MOU starting Sept. 1 this year while the others have to consult with their respective governments even as they are expected to sign the MOU eventually.

The United Nations Environment Program will host the MOU secretariat at its regional office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok.

The conference was capped by a message from Douglas Hykle, deputy executive secretary of CMS, who noted that the delegates have succeeded in laying out an ambitious program of activities aimed at addressing the root causes of the problems facing marine turtles.

Marine turtles, otherwise known as sea turtles, are relatively the same form as their ancestors 200 million years ago. They even outlived the dinosaurs. They are highly migratory, travelling thousands of miles away from their birthplace to feed and habitate areas thousands of kilometers away. They travel back to their places of birth to nest when they reach the breeding age 20 to 30 years.

There are seven types of marine turtles, five of which can be found in the Philippines.They are the green, hawksbill, olive ridley, loggerhead and leatherback.

Marine turtles have a special role in the marine ecosystem. They have a long history of cultural and commercial utilization. Some communities are dependent on this resource for livelihood. The eggs are served as a delicacy and the meat as a source of protein in many seaside communities. Stuffed turtles, varnished shells, eyeglass and picture frames, jewelry boxes, other by-products like guitars, combs, bangles, earrings and rings are some of the many products that can be made out of marine turtles.

The overexploitation of marine turtles has resulted in drastic decline in their population. In the Philippines, an estimated 83-percent plunge in egg production was reported in the Turtle Islands from 1953 to 1996. Because conservation and protection of marine turtles cannot be done effectively by one country alone and since adjacent countries share a marine turtle population or resource, the countries around Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia were organized for this conference.