Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WARF)

Marine Ecology

Saving Thailand's turtles

by Achadtya Chuenniran

Efforts of local people to conserve sea turtles in the resort province, a once a major habitat for the marine creatures, have met with kuttke success. The boom in tourism and the construction industry are the two main contrributung factors to the alarming deline in the turtle populations on [Phuket] island. Also gone with the turtles is the unique festival in Phuket call the Turtle Walk festival, which used to be held between late October and early November to highlight the turtle egg-laying season. During the festival, locals would stroll among the beaches to observe the turtles laying eggs. Now few people can do the turtle walk along the beach any more as there is nothing to see. Today sea turtles can be seen only in state agencies' turtle breeding wells. The wells are part of t state attempt to save four kinds of local species of sea turtles from extinction.

The breeding wells operate under the supervision of the Phuket marine Biological centre. Each year, it releases some 500 baby turtles into the Andaman Sea.

Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, a senior researcher at the centre, said for many centuries Phuket beaches had been home to four species of sea turtles - green turtles (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill sea turtles (Erethmochelys imbricata), olive ridley's turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), and the leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coreacea).

Recently, marine scientists also rediscovered the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) on one of the island's beaches after its disappearance from the island over three decades ago.

According to Mr Kongkiat, sea turtles only lay eggs when they are over 10 years old. Normally, each turtle chooses a quiet spot on the beach, where it digs a large hole and lays around 70-150 eggs. They then cover the hole and return to the sea.

In the past, there were at least 10 known egg-laying sites of sea turtles along the Andaman coast. Today, only one such site remains on Hooyong island in Phangnga province. Apart from limited egg-laying sites, other threats that have reduced the size of the sea turtle population in the Andaman Sea include fishing nets.

Each year many rare species of turtles are injured, maimed or killed by fishing boat propellers, or trapped in fishing nets both intentionally and unintentionally.

Worse still, local fishing communities have over the years made turtle meat part of their diet. Many villagers believe the turtle shells have supernatural power which can heal illnesses. It is also believed that people who wear accessories made from turtle shells are shielded from bad luck.

Jan Pramongkit, 39, a villager from the Thai Mai community in Ban Laem Tukkae of Phuket's Muang district, said people in her community only eat turtle meat which comes from dead turtles which are accidentally trapped in fishing nets.

"We just don't want to throw those dead turtles away, so we cook their meat for our meals. The meat tastes like beef or pork. It's not much different," said Ms Jan.

Another Thai Mai villager, Khian Pramongkit, 28, said all Thai Mai families have accessories made of turtle shells, including bracelets, out of belief that they help avert bad luck and illness.

Some families even burn turtle shells in front of their houses when a family member is taken ill to keep bad omen at bay, said Ms Khian.

Another major threat to sea turtles is the change in the marine ecological system.

The government and local villagers are now well aware of the need to save sea turtles along the Andaman coastline. Relevant agencies have come up with a sea turtle conservation plan, which includes turtle breeding and releasing turtles to the sea.

Agencies taking part in the sea turtle conservation plan will soon sign a collaboration deal. Key players in the collaboration are the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the navy and some non-governmental organisations.

Sea turtle numbers fall
Bangkok Post, 18 April 2005

The number of sea turtles along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand has plunged by 80% as community areas expand, a marine biologist said. Wannakiart Tabtimsaeng, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, said urban development raised noise levels while sea turtles needed a quiet environment to lay eggs. People are also collecting sea turtle eggs for consumption and sale. However, Mr Wannakiart said the Dec 26 tsunamis had returned Mai Khao beach in Thalang district of Phuket to its condition 20 years ago. As a result, leatherback turtles have made a return to lay eggs on the beach. With the fishing fleet having shrunk, the beach was serene enough to welcome the turtles. [return]

Visiting dolphin found dead at river mouth
Bangkok Post, 14 February 2005, MANIT SANUBBOON

Prachin Buri - A male dolphin, weighing over 200 kilogrammes, was found dead in the mouth of Prachin Buri river close to Wat Krachae in tambon Tha Ngam, Prachin Buri's Muang district.

The mammal was one of a school of dolphins that visits this area every year. Their annual appearance has put the place on the tourist map.

While the cause of death is still unknown, experts have warned that fishing nets and pollution in the river could pose a risk to the dolphins, an endangered species. The trawlers that fish in the river had also disturbed them.

Observers said authorities had done little to make the area safe for the visiting creatures. Dolphin deaths are often attributed to push nets trawlers fishing for tuna. In the United States this has led to the adoption of ``dolphin-safe'' tuna fishing standards which ban such nets and require observers on tuna boats to certify that no dolphins are harmed. Some environmental groups, however, say such standards amount to consumer fraud and dolphins are still endangered.

Schools of tuna often swim below dolphins and fishermen often hauled in both species in hydraulic nets, keeping the tuna and tossing out the dolphins. [return]

Message from C-Turtle group

In response to requests for information on the status of marine turtle conservation projects around the Indian Ocean region, as well as the impacts of the recent tsunami on vital turtle habitats, the IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU Secretariat has begun to compile preliminary assessments for some of the countries affected by this calamity (www.ioseaturtles.org).
As it may be some time before a more comprehensive, rigorous assessment is made available on the web, this brief overview is meant to address an immediate need to provide - and, equally important, to solicit - available information on this particular aspect of the tsunami disaster.
Much of the content is in the public domain, but it has not been compiled in one place. Even for countries like Thailand, which has already carried out some early assessments, and for which the most data are available, the information is not comprehensive. Much is still unknown about the situation in a number of countries. Readers are therefore encouraged to provide whatever information they have to help fill in the missing gaps - in the form of first hand accounts, published reports in the media, or web sites that have more detailed information on a particular country or issue. It is hoped that this overview will contribute, if only in a small way, to the orientation of broader assessments that will be supported by other bodies, such as the United Nations Environment Programme, WorldFish Center (Reefbase Project) etc., in the weeks to come.
For readers who wish to contribute directly to the rehabilitation of turtle conservation projects that have suffered damage, the seaturtle.org
website has created an Indian Ocean Tsunami Sea Turtle Fund, to help rebuild damaged and destroyed infrastructure related to sea turtle
research and conservation, once the most immediate humanitarian relief needs have been addressed in the countries concerned. Readers will
also find there a number of other options for making charitable contributions to support humanitarian relief efforts.
**************************************
Douglas Hykle
Co-ordinator / Senior CMS Advisor
IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU Secretariat
c/o UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: +(662) 288 1471; Fax: +(662) 280 3829
E-mail: iosea@un.org; Website: www.ioseaturtles.org

Breeding farm sea turtles lost
WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM

The navy's efforts to conserve sea turtles in the Andaman sea have been set back by the tidal waves which ravaged the breeding and conservation centre at a naval base in Phangnga. Three places at Tap Lamu naval base where the sea turtles aged from two months to seven years were bred and raised are now in ruins. The naval base itself is barely operational.

Vice Adm Thana Bunnag, commander of the Third Fleet, said the 2,000 sea turtles were lost. "We have not found a single turtle at the breeding centre so far. Even if they have been swept out to sea, their chances of survival are slim because the marine environment has changed," he said.

The navy had set up the breeding and conservation centre after the sea turtle population in the Andaman sea declined. The booming tourism industry along the western coast of Thailand threatened their natural habitat.

Vice ACM Thana said the Third Fleet was working with the Marine and Coastal Resource Development and Research Institute in Phuket in rehabilitating the centre.

The navy has no problem finding breeding turtles as the Air and Coastal Defence Command at Sattahip naval base has another breeding and conservation centre for sea turtles.

Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, of the Marine and Coastal Resource Development and Research Institute in Phuket, said the institute lost 18 breeding turtles.

A large male dugong was found one kilometre from the shore near the naval base after the tidal waves. Kanchana Adulyanukosol, of the institute, said the dugong is 2.6 metres long and aged about 40, one of the biggest ever found. "It suffered minor cuts and was treated before being released back into the sea,'' she said.

Two sea turtles have also been rescued - one weighs 80kg and the other 40kg. The turtles are believed to have been swept in from the deep sea.

Ms Kanchan said an initial coral reef survey at Patong beach found much of the reef was spared. While about 70% of the reef at Similan island is damaged, the toll at Surin islands is said to be minimal. [return]

CONSERVATIONISTS: Dugong proposal branded a danger
Enlisting help of local fishermen is the best method, govt warned
The Nation, 23 November 2004, Kamol Sukin, Saowalak Pumyaem

A Thai ministry has proposed setting up an Asian network to protect the highly-endangered dugong, with Thailand as the centre - but almost immediately the idea has been criticised as the wrong approach.

Local environmentalists, who are the key to any dugong conservation project, believe there are better ways to protect the creature, Phisit na Phattalung of the Yard Fon Foundation said yesterday. "Putting the priority on tagging the dugongs is the wrong approach. Money and technology are not key to ensuring the species survives based on our experience. Local fishermen are," Phisit said.

Maitree Duangsawasdi, a senior official at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, said the network was proposed last Thursday. "The seas around Thailand are home to most of the dugong population in the region, about 200 in total. So, we are the proper place for the centre of the network," he said.

But Phisit criticised previous government efforts to protect the creatures. "Dugongs are in a critical condition, with only a few hundred left in the region. Tackling the problem from the wrong angle would only put the species at risk," he said.

If the government is serious about dugong conservation it should focus on local fishermen along the coasts of Thailand as they can play a significant role in ensuring dugongs have sufficient food (sea grass) by helping to preserve the coastal ecosystem, Phisit said.

"Governments in the past had failed in this function and did too little for dugong conservation. Now it should take action - but in the right way," he said.

Apart engaging local communities, Phisit said the government should stop all activities that endanger dugong habitats including tourism and development projects near areas with dugongs. It should also outlaw destructive fishing tools like "uan laak" and "uan roon" (push nets), which are affecting the survival of the dugong population, he added. "If the government is serious about protecting the dugong, it should declare it on the national agenda instead."

During the IUCN Congress yesterday, a network of eight Japanese environmental organisations held a press conference to call on the congress to pressure Tokyo to stop a project that could wipe out Okinawa's dugongs.

The project - a joint US military and Japanese civilian effort - is to construct an airport on a land-filled area that affects the only remaining natural dugong habitat in Japan. It would also lead to the extinction of two highly-endangered bird species, the Okinawa woodpecker and Okinawa rail. "If the projects continue, these species will be gone," they said.

"The previous IUCN Congress in 2000 recommended that our government review the plan but there was not much progress. We hope the Bangkok congress will have a more significant effect," Shin-ichi Hanawa from WWF Japan said.

"We call on the Bangkok IUCN Congress to recommend to our government and the US government that they stop the project," the network stated.

Tokyo had agreed to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study for the projects but it was unacceptable, Shigekazu Mezaki of Nan Zan Univerity said. It failed to include significant data from the project and did not leave open a "stop construction" option if the assessment found the impact was too great.

"We cannot lose the remaining 50 dugongs in Okinawa," the group's representative Hideki Yoshikawa said, stressing that 90 per cent of local fishermen opposed the project. [return]

Survival of rare sea mammal under threat
Bangkok Post, 05 November 2004, KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI

The endangered Irrawaddy dolphin is under serious threat in Thai waters from commercial coastal fishing and rising demand for dolphin meat on the table, according to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. Director-general Maitree Duangsawad said he was concerned for the survival of the rare species.

There had been reports from Chumphon and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces that dolphin meat was being widely sold in local markets. The meat came from stranded dolphins or dolphins accidentally trapped in fishing nets.

At least 10 dolphins, including the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), had been found dead, caught in nets or injured by boat propellors. The number was alarming, considering there were only 100-150 Irrawaddy dolphins left in Thai waters, including coastal areas in eastern and southern provinces, the Mekong river, Songkhla Lake and Bang Pakong river estuary.

Mr Maitree said officials had found a food shop in Chumphon advertising dolphin curry''. Such activity would jeopardise the country's image as a leader in dolphin conservation.

Last month, Thailand was successful in getting members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to list the rare Irrawaddy dolphin on Appendix I, the strictest conservation list, which bans all international trade in the sea mammal. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, people possessing dolphin meat, parts, or carcasses are liable to a fine of 40,000 baht and/or up to four years' jail.

Mr Maitree called on the Fisheries Department to beef up controls on fishing within three kilometres of the coast, which was the feeding ground of dolphins. The number of fishermen needed to be controlled bans enforced on the use of destructive fishing methods, particularly pair trawlers and push nets. Deputy Fisheries chief Jaranthada Karnasuta, however, said the dolphin situation was not as serious as the marine conservation authority feared.

''We hardly find any Irrawaddy dolphins being caught or killed by fishermen because they are fast swimmers. Fishing boats move much slower,'' he said.

Hunting of dolphins was unlikely because dolphin meat was not popular with Thai consumers. His department was willing to strengthen coastal area conservation by cracking down on large-scale fishing boats which were already banned from fishing within three kilometres of the coast.

He warned that possessing or sale of dolphin and whale meat was banned under the wildlife protection law. Fishermen must tell authorities if they find stranded dolphins or accidentally catch one. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, the Irrawaddy dolphin is slow-swimming and inconspicuous. [return]

Rare turtles found dead off Chumphon
Bangkok Post, 18 October 2004

Two big and rare green turtles have been reported killed off Chumphon by trawlers that had encroached on coastal waters.

Payom Polpramul, a 53-year-old coastal fisherman, said he saw two dead green turtles, each about a metre long, floating in the sea about three kilometres off the beach in Pathiu district's Ban Hin Kob village yesterday. He brought one of the dead turtles ashore in his small boat.

The fisherman immediately alerted local marine authorities. But when they arrived, they only found its shell, guts and head. Local villagerss were suspected of having sliced it open for the meat.

Based on the remains, the turtle would have been 83cm long and 65cm wide and about 50kg in weight. It had taken a bad hit on its shell and head.

The protected animals might have been caught by a trawler violating the no-entry zone along the coast which was declared a sanctuary for green turtles. The crew must have killed them before throwing them into the sea. [return]

Editorial: Stop destroying our marine life
Bangkok Post, 25 September 2004

Delegates to the 166-member Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), at the Queen Sirikit Centre from October 2-14, will have much to discuss because it is the first time the meeting has taken place in Southeast Asia. High on the international agenda will be what action should be taken regarding pangolins, tiger skins, bear paws, the smuggling of apes, and the decline in sturgeons and great white sharks. Thailand will be pushing for regulated commercial trade to be allowed in the orchid known as Vanda coerulea, or (fah moui in Thai) while elevating the rare Irrawaddy dolphin to the endangered list before it becomes extinct.

The orchid is currently listed on CITES Appendix I as a plant species in danger of extinction and prohibited from all forms of commercial trade. Thailand wants to make it an Appendix II-type species, thus making trade possible in the variety grown from tissue samples in greenhouses. The Irrawaddy dolphin, a species common to Southeast Asia and Australia, needs protecting because of the constant decline in its population due to entanglements in fishing nets and injuries sustained in explosions in illegal dynamite fishing.

But there is life beyond the conference halls and many of the 3,000 delegates will get a chance to visit beach resorts and national parks to get a first-hand look at rural and marine environments. If they take to the sea they will find that Thailand is not immune from the the ravages to nature inflicted throughout our planet. Marine biologists say nearly two-thirds of the spectacular and colourful coral reefs ringing Phuket island have been destroyed because of overzealous development and less than one fifth remain in acceptable condition. Sludge and debris washed into the sea from building work across the island combined with three episodes of coral bleaching in the 1990s, an environmental phenomenon blamed on rising water temperature and pollution, and nets from fishing boats are responsible for the reef's demise, along with their former inhabitants. This wanton devastation has taken a frightening toll.

Many species are on the verge of extinction and no one knows how much longer they will survive. Packs of fish hunters plunder the reefs in search of exotic ornamental fish and the once abundant ocean off our southern shores could soon be empty at the present rate of attrition. Seahorses, once prolific, are now hard to find in our waters. Many have fallen victim to push nets. Coral reefs worldwide, especially in the Philippines, Indonesia and Hawaii are being swept clean of exotic, rare but tasty fish such as the humphead wrasse and other marine life. This persists despite crackdowns on illegal fishing near mangrove forests and seagrass habitats as well as the reefs.

Deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are also being destroyed by commercial fishing, especially bottom trawling, which involves dragging heavy chains, nets and steel plates across the ocean floor. These crush 10-metre high trees of coldwater coral and the United Nations and appropriate international bodies are under pressure to establish a moratorium on bottom trawling on the high seas.

Thai fishermen are moving further and further afield in their search for food fish until they encroach on the territorial waters of other countries and foreign fleets encroach on ours. Gradually the world's oceans are losing the life which sustains them. From the collapse of the North Atlantic fisheries to the destruction of coral reefs and turtle populations, man has caused havoc to marine environments. Radar, sonar, driftnets and long lines with many hooks are used by fleets of ships to cater to the ever-increasing demand for seafood, aquarium fish, coral and rare shells. Because the resource is often less than the demand, profits are high and overexploitation rife.

The CITES conference should provide us with the impetus to conserve our wildlife and try to undo the damage to our environment. CITES lacks the teeth to protect endangered species so the suppression of illegal transnational trade in wildlife becomes a shared responsibility with our neighbours. We must take this task of policing what's left very seriously. [return]

US proposal to control turtle trade seen by Thai critics as trade barrier
Bangkok Post, 25 September 2004, KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI

Thailand will join other Asean countries in opposing US proposals to control international trade in Southeast Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises during an international meeting on wildlife trade to be held in Bangkok early next month, the Fisheries Department announced yesterday.

"We are well aware that these proposals are more about trade barriers than conservation. We have to deal with the issues carefully because developed countries always use environmental issues as trade barriers,'' said Bundit Kullavanijaya, a biologist at the Fisheries Department's Bureau of Fisheries Administration and Management.

So far, the Fisheries Department is the only agency that has come up with a clear position on proposals to be submitted to the two-week 13th conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The departments of Agriculture, Marine and Coastal Resources, and National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation have not yet made public their positions on some 50 proposals for improving the conservation and international trade in rare species, to be submitted to the CITES meeting to be attended by delegates from 166 member countries.

The United States has proposed that all species under four genuses of freshwater turtles and tortoises, including the Malayan snail-eating turtle, the Malayan flat-shell turtle, the Southeast Asian soft-shell turtle, and the pig-nosed turtle, be included in Appendix II of CITES.

Appendix II lists species that are not now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is strictly controlled.

"Ten Asean member countries, including Thailand, have agreed recently that the inclusion of turtles and tortoises should be considered on the species-by-species basis. The inclusion of all species is unacceptable because it may cause social and economic impacts,'' said Mr Bundit.

He questioned whether Washington wanted to control international trade in these turtle and tortoise species despite the fact the US has none of these species. The creatures are found only in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei.

Thailand would also vote to reject Namibia's and Zambia's proposals to ease international trade in Nile crocodiles for fear that the move would harm Thailand's crocodile breeding and export industry worth over two billion baht a year.

However, the department has yet to decide whether to support Japan's proposal to transfer the Minke whale from Appendix I to Appendix II to facilitate its whaling industry.

"Thailand might support Tokyo's proposal in exchange for their support for our proposal to upgrade the Irrawaddy dolphin to Appendix I, which strictly prohibits international trade in the listed plants and animal species,'' said Mr Bundit.

Wildlife Conservation Office director Schwann Tunhikorn, who is also acting director of the CITES office in Thailand, however, said his agency already had a rough negotiation plan, but declined to reveal it.

"Disclosing our position may hamper our negotiation,'' said Mr Schwann.

The Thai negotiation team comprises 15 officials from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and from the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry. [return]

Viet Nam rallies to save marine turtles
Viet Nam News: The National English Language Daily, 22 July 2004

HA NOI - Viet Nam's is threatened by illegal trading, intentional and unintentional poaching, and egg collecting according to Viet Nam's new Marine Turtle Conservation Action Plan to 2010. The action plan was launched last Friday by The Ministry of Fisheries (MoF) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

A Steering Committee chaired by the MoF and contributed to by other Government ministries, research organisations, non-governmental
organisations and national and international experts developed the action plan. It outlines marine turtle conservation programmes for Viet Nam and the rest of South-east Asia, the MoF's deputy-minister Nguyen Viet Thang said. The plan uses the findings of the Marine Turtle Conservation and Management two-year project that concluded this year.

The project studied marine turtle populations and was conducted by the MoF; IUCN; World Wild Fund for Nature, WWF Indochina and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia with financial support from Denmark's Government. It found that Viet Nam's five marine turtle species' populations have dramatically decreased over the last 30 years.

The action plan will continue the project's education and awareness programmes directed toward local Government, fishermen, school children, small business, enforcement units and the general public. - VNS http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-07/21/Stories/27.htm

Sea Turtle Triumph
The Marine Turtle Conservation Act passed

Dear CTURTLERS,
I am very pleased to report a Sea Turtle Triumph: The Marine Turtle Conservation Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives a few minutes ago.

Before the bill can be signed into law, however, a small difference between the House and Senate version will need to be resolved. We anticipate this resolution will happen in the near future. Efforts are also underway to ensure that a startup appropriation for the bill is available in the Fiscal Year 2005 budget which runs from October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005.

As you may know, The Marine Turtle Conservation Act focuses on nesting populations of sea turtles beyond US borders. It will foster long-term research and protection of nesting populations, promote involvement and education of local communities in conservation, thwart poaching, and help enforce existing laws to protect sea turtles.

Many thanks to all in the sea turtle conservation community who helped to make this bill a reality. On the beaches, in your homes and at your desks, you know who you are! This has been a great collaborative effort, and in the years to come, this bill will support sea turtle conservation in enormous and important ways. We should be proud of our involvement and very grateful for the support of key Congressional representatives. The House bill (HR 3378) was sponsored by Wayne Gilchrest from Maryland and co-sponsored by 43 other representatives from all over the United States.

Some quotes from The Ocean Conservancy's press release on this bill:
"H.R.3378 will not itself stop the slaughter of sea turtles or their eggs, but it sends a powerful message to the world community that the United States strongly supports their conservation and will not allow these species to disappear forever," said Congressman Gilchrest.
Continued Donnelly, "Like the other multinational species funds for elephants, great apes, and tigers, this bill will attract private and international support to leverage U.S. monies. Since 1991, Congress has appropriated $25 million to support anti-poaching activities, implement conservation plans and monitor at-risk populations; these funds have attracted an additional $80 million. In order to create such beneficial programs for sea turtles, the House and Senate must expeditiously resolve their small differences so that the bill can be signed into law."

I will keep you apprised of continuing developments.
best wishes,
Marydele
Marydele Donnelly
Sea Turtle Scientist
The Ocean Conservancy
1725 DeSales St. NW #600
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: 202-857-1684
Fax: 202-872-0619
mdonnelly@oceanconservancy.org

60 Arrested for Using Illegal Nets
Bangkok Post, 01 June 2004

Sixty crewmen from four trawlers have been arrested for using illegal nets to catch 40 tonnes of dok kluay, or anchovy, used in making fish sauce and tasty snacks. The vessels Veera Siri 2, Sap Navee, Saeng Navarat and Sap Prasert were found in Prachuap Khiri Khan waters hauling in fish using fine nets with mesh smaller than 2.5cm, the legal limit.

The Fishery Department patrol boats seized over 40,000kg of dok kluay worth about 400,000 baht. The trawlers came from eastern seaboard provinces to exploit Prachuap Khiri Khan's abundant fish stocks. These stocks are threatened with depletion by use of small-meshed nets. Patrol boat officials said detaining the trawlers was difficult because smaller boats were hired to keep a lookout.

In addition, there were only three patrol boats policing the entire 224 kilometre length of Prachuap Khiri Khan's coastline. Dok kluay is a base ingredient for fish sauce and is processed into popular crispy snacks. The four boats were based in Trat province and usually operated in the sea off the eastern coast to catch the dok kluay fish. [return]

Fishermen loath to use turtle excluders
Say they don't trawl in breeding grounds
Bangkok Post, 18 May 2004, Piyaporn Wongruang

The Fisheries Department says it is having difficulty convincing fishermen to use a device that prevents sea turtles being scooped up and drowned in prawn nets. This reluctance has caused the US to again ban imports of Thai prawns caught at sea. Director-general Sitdhi Boonyaratpalin said only about 70 trawlers were now using Turtle Excluder Devices, a marked drop from the estimated 3,000 when TEDs were introduced to fishermen in 1996.

The TED is a grid of bars fitted into the neck of a prawn trawl, allowing small fish to slip through into the bag end of the net while large animals such as turtles and sharks are ejected. Conservationists say TEDs are effective at excluding up to 97% of sea turtles with minimal loss of prawns.

Sea turtles are listed as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). Washington began enforcing a ban on non-farmed prawns on Friday for the same reason it did in 1997, failure to use TEDs to protect turtles. The US was the main market for Thai prawn exports last year, but 95% were from farms. Mr Sitdhi said fishermen had complained that TED was not practical, causing accidental releases of other fish and prawns ``so they abandoned the device, claiming that they don't operate in turtles' feeding grounds''.

The department couldn't enforce use of the device because the fishermen's boats were not actually registered as prawn trawlers, he said. US fishermen were forced to use the excluders and Washington applied the same rules to some trading partners, including Thailand. However, US law did not apply universally and it was unreasonable to force Thai fishermen to use the device.

Supot Chantrapornsyl, director of the Southern Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre, said use of TEDs had proved to be effective in US waters, where the turtle population was much larger. The turtle population in Thai waters had significantly decreased, and only about 10 turtles caught in nets each year. However, because there were so few, use of TEDs would help conserve them. "Saving one of them is worth enough,'' said Mr Supot.

A number of turtles returning to lay eggs on Thai beaches had dropped significantly, from thousands to only hundreds, in recent years, even though about 5,000 young turtles had been hatched artificially and released into the sea each year. "The first generations do not seem to be returning to us, and that is a clear indication the population is falling within our territory,'' Mr Supot said. "If we want to preserve these animals, every conservation measure possible should be taken,'' he said. [return]

Thailand affirms commitment to sea turtle protection

Thailand has joined a growing list of countries that have signaled their formal commitment to the conservation of marine turtles of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia region. The Minister of Natural Resources, H.E. Mr. Suwit Khunkitti, signed the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the overnment
of Thailand at a ceremony held in the Ministry on 12 May 2004.

Thailand has a long history of marine turtle research and conservation. Several projects run by governmental and non-governmental agencies are active in different parts of the country. In subscribing to the Memorandum of Understanding, Thailand undertakes to implement the provisions of a detailed conservation plan aimed at reversing the decline in the region's marine turtle populations.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Douglas Hykle, the IOSEA MoU Coordinator, noted that a number of global conferences taking place in Bangkok later in 2004 would give prominence to Thailand's role in natural resource management ? among them, the CITES Conference of Parties in October, the IUCN World Conservation Union Congress in November, and an FAO consultation on marine turtle-fisheries interactions planned for November/December.

The Memorandum of Understanding will take effect for Thailand on 1 August 2004, bringing to nineteen the number of Signatory States spanning the IOSEA region.

For more information please contact:
Douglas Hykle, Coordinator/Senior CMS Advisor, IOSEA MoU Secretariat, Bangkok; (+ 66 2) 288 1471; email: iosea@un.org
Or visit the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding website at http://www.ioseaturtles.org

US bans Thai non-farmed shrimps
Bangkok Post, 12 May 2004, Post reporters

The United States has slapped a ban on all imports of non-farmed shrimp from Thailand, after accusing the country of failing to comply with measures aimed at protecting endangered sea turtles. Thai shrimp trawlers have reportedly failed to install TEDs, special devices that prevent sea turtles from being caught in their nets, as required by US environmental conservation regulations. The decision, effective May 15, is expected to hurt the incomes of Thai shrimpers, who export over US$40 million annually to the US. Each year, Thailand exports over $950 million worth of shrimp to the US, but 95% of that comes from shrimp farms, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Thailand.

''When Thai fishermen join in the worldwide effort to protect sea turtles, this embargo can be reversed,'' the statement quoted an embassy official as saying. The official said the restriction was ''absolutely not'' related to the controversial ongoing anti-dumping case involving Thailand and other nations.

The US Department of Commerce is scheduled on July 28 to impose preliminary dumping duties on shrimp imports from six countries: Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand and Vietnam after investigators reported that shrimp shipments from those countries had been sold below cost in the US market. Sitdhi Boonyaratpalin, director-general of the Fisheries Department, said the ban would be lifted once Thailand can prove that its trawlers have been fitted with turtle-protecting devices.

All shipments of farmed shrimp to the US market now require certification from the department as to their origin. A source from the Association of Fresh Water Shrimp Farm Areas said the ban was likely to have a minimal impact on the Thai shrimp industry as most of the wild shrimp caught is consumed locally. [return]

UN Marine Turtle Conference Ends on a High Note

The Second Meeting of Signatory States to the IOSEA MoU ended successfully on 19 March 2004, after four days of productive deliberations chaired by Mr. David Hogan (United States). Twenty-three countries – including 16 Signatory States – were officially represented in Bangkok, along with a dozen nongovernmental and intergovernmental organisations.

During the meeting, Ambassadors of the Sultanate of Oman and Jordan signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of their Governments, bringing to 18 the number of IOSEA Signatory States. Representatives of five States – India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa and Thailand – signaled their intention to sign the MoU within a short time.

The following are among the highlights of the meeting:
Delegates reached agreement to organise a “Year of the Turtle” campaign for the Indian Ocean – South-East Asia region in 2006, with preliminary planning to begin already later this year.

There was widespread support for the establishment of a network of important sites for marine turtles under the umbrella of the IOSEA MoU, in order to raise awareness of the regional significance of the sites among decision-makers in the countries in which they are found. A formal proposal will be elaborated in advance of the next meeting.

Almost all of the Signatory States present provided detailed reports on their implementation to date of the Conservation and Management Plan, and valuable information was also collected from the non-Signatories present. An overall assessment of progress was made, and this will be further refined in the coming months as more analytical tools are developed by the Secretariat. Complementary initiatives, including multi-country programmes of WWF, a recent report by TRAFFIC on the Hawksbill turtle trade, and plans by regional fisheries bodies to address by-catch, also featured in the discussions.

Delegates were introduced to a number of tools available on the IOSEA MoU Website aimed at facilitating information exchange, decision-making and monitoring implementation progress. These include an electronic library, a projects database and the recently launched Marine Turtle Interactive Mapping System - IMapS.

The meeting heard accounts of the extremely complex social issues that are contributing to the decline of marine turtles in two conservation “hotspots” -- Bali, Indonesia, and Orissa, India. The meeting acknowledged the progress already made to try to resolve these difficult resource use conflicts, and drew attention to particular points where further intervention is required. Additionally, the IOSEA Advisory Committee was charged with examining in more depth the complex issue of traditional and cultural use of marine turtles within the context of conservation actions.

A presentation on hatchery management enumerated the negative consequences of poorly-run hatchery operations, and underscored the need for guidelines that are rigorously applied in countries where this is a problem. A policy paper will be prepared for adoption at the next meeting. Delegates were also introduced to the powerful management tool offered by ecological modelling, through an informative presentation of the potential impacts on turtle populations of human interventions and natural phenomena.

The Signatory States decided to interpret the geographic scope of the IOSEA MoU in such a way as to recognise that, on biological grounds, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea ought to be included in the list of countries with a direct interest in the MoU. It was further agreed that the Secretariat should undertake a preliminary examination of the feasibility and desirability of extending the coverage of the IOSEA MoU to embrace interested countries in the Pacific.

The meeting, which was held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, was sponsored by the Convention on Migratory Species, the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage.

The full report of the meeting is expected to be available from the Secretariat by the end of April or early May. http://www.ioseaturtles.org/ioseaSS2_more.html

IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU Secretariat, c/o UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Avenue, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand ; Tel: + (662) 288 1471 ; Fax: + (662) 280 3829 ; E-mail: iosea@un.or

Trawler with 130 dead turtles held
CTurtle List, 04 May 2004, BY MUGUNTAN VANAR

KOTA KINABALU: More than 130 endangered sea turtles and 30 turtle shells were seized from a China-registered trawler that had encroached into Malaysia's rich Mengalum waters, 20 nautical miles from here. Most of the sea turtles, believed to be of the Hawksbill and Greenback species, were found dead among the catch of the Chinese fishermen when a marine police PZ patrol boat with 30 personnel intercepted the boat after a short chase at 2pm on Sunday.

Kota Kinabalu marine police commanding officer Deputy Supt Paul Khiu Khon Chiang said the 40-year-old skipper and 15 members of his crew, aged between
16 and 48, had been detained to facilitate investigations by the Sabah Fisheries Department.

Confiscated: DSP Khiu (middle) and his officers inspecting the dead turtles in Kota Kinabalu. All are reported to be Chinese nationals.

Deputy Supt Khiu said police believed foreign fishing boats had been slipping into Mengalum waters on several occasions to catch sea turtles and this seizure was the largest involving these turtles in Sabah. We believe that the fishermen had been in our waters for about two days and were targeting the sea turtles found in abundance in the Mengalum area, he said, adding that the crew left Hainan, China, two weeks ago.

A total of 130 dead turtles and three live ones as well as 30 turtle shells were recovered from the trawler. It was learnt that the turtles could be preserved by stuffing or taxidermy and sold in the open market for a high price.State Fisheries Department enforcement and preventive chief Sapli Mulok said investigations were centred on the Fisheries Act.The skipper of any foreign vessel encroaching into Malaysian waters, he said, faced a maximum fine of RM1mil while each crew member faced one of RM100,000 in default of a jail term under Section 15 of the Act.

Sapli said the department would also look into the Act for action to be taken for offences related to the catching of endangered species, adding that such offences would also be discussed with the state Wildlife Department.The skipper and the crew would be brought to court tomorrow for a remand order to facilitate further investigations into their activities. [return]

Encroachers 'being shielded'
Powerful people with political links blamed
Bangkok Post, 19 April 2004, Kultida Samabuddhi

Chao Mai Marine National Park in Trang province has been heavily exploited by encroachers, particularly hotel operators and rubber and palm oil planters, park chief Prayoon Srisuwan said. More than 60 charges had been filed since early last year against people encroaching on about 1,200 rai of the park, he said, but they were being protected by powerful people with political connections.

Tourist resorts, palm oil and rubber plantations had damaged the park's ecological system, listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park is also famous for being home to dugongs, an endangered gentle sea mammal.

Mr Prayoon said the five-star Amari Trang Beach Resort on Changlang beach, a pristine coastal area, is too close to the nesting ground of protected sea turtles. The 500-million-baht complex covers 70 rai of land and opened to guests in November last year. It is run by a Thai-owned hotel-management chain under the Amari name. "I have proof that the hotel's title deed was illegally obtained,'' said Mr Prayoon. The land occupied by the hotel used to be part of Chao Mai national park, he said. Hotel executives could not be reached for comment.

Mr Prayoon said he was also against a land rights paper being issued for land on nearby Kradan island, because it also comes within the national park boundaries. The land would be sold to JBB Co, which owns the Amari Hotel and which plans to build a recreational centre on the island. He said powerful figures had threatened local officials. Provincial officials had also refused to cooperate with the park authority.

Mr Prayoon was the target of a local protest last week that called for his removal, but he said it was instigated by people with vested interests. An activist of a Trang-based green group said Mr Prayoon took strong measures in dealing with local people who were there before the park was set up, but not against wealthy businessmen encroaching on the land. [return]

Conservation Groups Call for UN Action to Save Pacific Leatherback and Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Praise for California Longline Ban, Opposition to Reopening of Hawai'i Fishery
19 March 2004

San Francisco, CA A coalition of conservation organizations and scientists has called on the United Nations to take immediate steps to save Pacific leatherback and loggerhead turtles that face an imminent threat of extinction. The groups say that it is now time for an international ban on longline fishing modeled after the 1991 UN High Seas Driftnet Moratorium. Several factors contribute to making this moment a pivotal one for saving these two species of sea turtles. Most important, scientists agree that without dramatic, coordinated, international action both species will be extinct within 30 years. Two, the American government, under pressure from lawsuits brought by the some of the groups making this appeal to the UN, is finally taking some initiative on the turtles¹ behalf by closing the California-based longline fishery, a major contributor to the turtles¹ decline. Three, on the negative side, the same federal agency is about to reopen the Hawai`i-based long-line fishery. Finally, US-based fishing fleets are only a small part of the problem. Broad-based international cooperation is necessary, thus the appeal to the UN.

A global effort is critical to saving the Pacific leatherback from extinction,² said Todd Steiner of Turtle Island Restoration Network. ³The Pacific leatherback is just the canary in the coalmine. Unless we impose a moratorium on industrial longlining as it is practiced today, sea turtles, whales, dolphins, sea birds, sharks, billfish, and sea lions will be wiped out, along with many important fisheries.²

California Ban Supported, Hawai'i Opening Opposed
On March 11, 2004, NOAA-Fisheries issued a new rule banning California longline fishing targeting swordfish from a huge swath of the Pacific Ocean. The final rule comes on the heels of an August 2003 decision by the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concurring with environmentalists that the Fisheries Service had failed to conduct the proper environmental review before issuing permits to the fishery. NOAA-Fisheries¹ plan to reopen Hawai`i waters to swordfish longlines in April, however, would undermine efforts to save the species.

³Banning California-based longlining closes a significant loophole. The United States is now taking the lead to end this rapacious fishing practice and set a standard for the world. Opening the Hawai`i fishery at this point would be a huge step backwards,² said Deborah Sivas of Earthjustice, who represented the coalition before the Ninth Circuit. ³The time has come for a United Nations resolution that will begin the process of ending longline fishing by all countries of the Pacific Rim.²

Specifically, the new rules prohibit vessels that land their catch in California from setting shallow swordfish longlines in California state waters or on the high seas in the Pacific Ocean east of 150º W. longitude to protect endangered leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. This type of longlining has been banned for all US longline vessels landing in Hawai`i, but NOAA-Fisheries has proposed reopening the Hawai`i fishery in April.

³Longline fishing for swordfish and tuna in the biologically diverse waters of the Pacific is akin to hunting deer by placing land mines in a national park,² said Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity. ³You may catch your deer, but you invariably kill many of the neighboring species as well.²

Saving the sea turtle will require international action because the US fleet makes up only a small percentage of the longline fleet.

The Pacific's Oldest Residents in Jeopardy
The Pacific populations of leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles are in dire straits. Marine biologists estimate that if the current rate of decline continues the Pacific leatherback, which outlived the dinosaurs, will be extinct in the next 10 to 30 years. Swift and decisive action on behalf of both national and international leaders is needed to slow the nosedive towards extinction. Recent scientific studies recommend that the incidental killing of leatherback turtles must be reduced to zero if the species is to survive.

Several years ago, scientists began reporting that populations of Pacific leatherback sea turtles were crashing. In 2002, scientists from around the world held a conference in Monterey, California, to discuss the crisis.

Nesting studies from around the world show that population numbers are declining rapidly. The nesting population of female leatherbacks has declined by 95 percent in the Eastern Pacific (Nature 6/2000) in the past two decades and is expected to go extinct within the next 10 to 30 years.

As an outcome of the meeting, more than 400 scientists and 100 non-governmental organizations from more than 40 nations have since called on the United Nations to place a moratorium on longlining in the Pacific to protect sea turtles, sharks, seabirds, and other species. View the scientist letter here: http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/unltrscr.pdf

Longlines, a Destructive Form of Industrial Fishing
Longline fishing, an industrial technology that can set thousands of baited hooks in a single set, and that internationally sets 1.4 billion hooks per year (or 4 million hooks/day), has been implicated in a recent study published in Nature as a major cause of the decline of large fishes, such as swordfish, tuna, and sharks. Previous scientific studies have also indicated that this fishing method is driving Pacific leatherbacks turtles to extinction, as well as being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of endangered seabirds each year.

Dr. Larry Crowder presented a paper at the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences meeting in February 2004 that showed that nearly half of all loggerhead and leatherbacks turtles are likely to be caught on a longline hook every year. The study estimates that 30,000 loggerheads and 20,000 leatherbacks are entangled in the Pacific per year, and up to 6,000 loggerheads and 3,200 leatherbacks are killed by longlines in the Pacific annually. Biologists say the leatherback could become extinct in 10 to 30 years if current trends continue. Sea turtles, sharks, whales, dolphins, marlin, seabirds, and other endangered species also get caught on the hooks. Read the study here: http://www.earthjustice.org/news/documents/3-04/LewisonCrowderstudy.pdf

The United States makes up only about 5 percent of the global swordfish fishing fleet. Japan, Korea, and Taiwan all have large fleets. The US, Japan, and the European Union are the largest importers of swordfish.

The longline industry is decimating not only turtle populations, but also undermining communities and ecotourism operations around the world have committed to turtle conservation. Developing nations such as Mexico and Costa Rica have invested considerable sums to protect turtle populations and nesting beaches. Sadly, all those efforts are undone when longliners catch and kill sea turtles on the open seas.

Background
Since 1999, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network, represented by Earthjustice, have filed a series of lawsuits to protect the leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles from the US longline fleet. The US Endangered Species Act protects the leatherback and loggerhead sea turtle.

A 1999 lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of Turtle Island Restoration Network and The Ocean Conservancy temporarily closed millions of square miles of territorial waters around Hawai`i to longliners; the injunction was later modified to close the swordfish portion of the fleet and to limit the tuna longline fleet. The US district court judge found that NOAA-Fisheries was not doing enough to enforce protections for sea turtles dying on the longlines. When about two dozen Hawai¹i longliners relocated to California waters to exploit a loophole in the ruling, the two organizations responded with another lawsuit seeking an injunction to close it.

In March 2002, NOAA-Fisheries declared that the Hawai`i-based longline fishery was placing leatherback, loggerhead, and green turtles at risk of extinction and completely banned swordfish longlining out of Hawai`i.

In August 2003, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the fisheries service had violated the Endangered Species Act by allowing longline fishers to continue operating along the West Coast before assessing the ecological impacts of such fishing activity. [return]

The public can learn more about this issue and take action at: http://www.savetheleatherback.com

UN Marine Turtle Conference in Bangkok Ends on a High Note
Delegates select 2006 as "Year of the Turtle" in Indian Ocean and South-East Asia
Bangkok, 19 March 2004

A four-day conference on marine turtle conservation, bringing together officials and experts from 25 countries around the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia ended positively on Friday, with agreement to organise a major awareness campaign in 2006.

A region-wide "Year of the Turtle" initiative will draw attention to the dramatic declines in turtle populations in many parts of their range, as well as the complex social and economic issues that need to be tackled if the situation is to be reversed.

The campaign is to be organised under the umbrella of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian (IOSEA) Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding, which is coordinated from an office of the United Nations Environment Programme in Bangkok. The agreement puts in place a broad set of measures aimed at conserving habitat that marine turtles require for their survival, as well as addressing specific threats, such as egg collection and interactions
with coastal and offshore fisheries, known to be important sources of turtle mortality.

Douglas Hykle, who runs the secretariat overseeing the activities of the IOSEA MoU, said the conference represents a symbolic turning point. "The problems facing marine turtles in this region have been recognized for many years, but this is the first time they have been seriously discussed among
so many governments with a common commitment to take action."

The meeting heard accounts of the extremely complex social issues that are contributing to the decline of marine turtles in two conservation "hotspots". In Bali, Indonesia, traditional use of turtles in ceremonies and consumption of meat have taken their toll on vast numbers of green turtles, while in Orissa, India, thousands of turtles are drowned every year in fisheries operating illegally in protected waters. "Simply trying to impose a ban on harmful activities is unlikely to be successful in these cases", said Hykle. "Solutions to issues as complex as these require an understanding of the societal factors at play, and careful discussion and negotiation with all of the stakeholders concerned."

Even seemingly positive endeavors, such as the creation of hatcheries to incubate eggs taken from the wild, came under close scrutiny at the meeting. While useful in some instances to protect eggs that would otherwise be lost to poachers or natural phenomena, poorly-operated hatcheries were cited as a significant drain on the production of healthy recruits to wild populations of marine turtles.

There was widespread support among delegates for a proposal introduced at the meeting to develop a network of sites of importance for marine turtles,
linked to the IOSEA MoU. The aim would be to promote greater awareness and recognition of these sites by government decision-makers, with a view to
ensuring their long-term integrity.

During the course of the week, Ambassadors from Oman and Jordan added their countries' signature to the memorandum, and Thailand announced that its Cabinet given its approval to sign the MoU in the coming days. Another four countries ? India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and South Africa ? signaled
their intention to sign the MoU within the next months. Australia has reinforced its commitment to the growing turtle conservation initiative by agreeing to provide a staff member to the IOSEA MoU Secretariat through its development assistance programme (AusAID).

The meeting recognized the important contributions to the implementation of the IOSEA conservation plan made by non-governmental organisations and
civil society at all levels. A dozen NGOs from countries throughout the region were represented at the Bangkok gathering, including five offices of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Confident that the ground-breaking agreement is on the right track, delegates agreed to extend an invitation to China, Japan and the Republic of Korea ? all sharing highly migratory turtle populations ? to join their ranks. A feasibility study looking into the possible extension of the agreement even further, into the Pacific Ocean, will be undertaken in the coming year, with support requested from the IOSEA MoU's parent Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). [return]

For more information please contact:
Douglas Hykle, Coordinator/Senior CMS Advisor, IOSEA MoU Secretariat,
Bangkok; (+ 66 2) 288 1471; email: iosea@un.org
Or visit the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding website at
http://www.ioseaturtles.org

New FDA Advisory Fails to Protect Seafood Consumers
FDA's Own Data Shows that New Advisory Puts Women, Children at Risk
Press Release: 19 March 2004

CONTACT: Andy Peri
Sea Turtle Restoration Project
Phone: 415-488-0370 x104
www.seaturtles.org
www.gotmercury.org

The Sea Turtle Restoration Project is a California-based marine conservation organization that works to protect sea turtles and other marine species nationally and internationally. Many seafood species that are high in mercury are caught using longline fishing methods that kill large numbers of sea turtles every year. We work to help consumers find ways to protect their own health by eating species low in mercury (see www.gotmercury.org) and, at the same time by not eating fish such as swordfish, which is responsible for pushing sea turtles to the brink of extinction. For more information about sea turtles and the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, please visit: http://www.seaturtles.org

For more information on mercury in seafood and marine species protection, please visit the Sea Turtle Restoration Project website by visiting www.seaturtles.org and clicking on Program and Campaigns then Mercury, Swordfish and Sea Turtles Campaigns or visit: http://www.seaturtles.org/prog_camp2.cfm?campaignID=20

Asia Making More Efforts To Protect Marine Turtles, U.N. Says
18 March 2004, Michael White - Marine Zoologist

The United Nations today lauded Asian governments for increasing their efforts to protect marine turtles and their habitats. "Across the vast region, marine turtles are receiving more attention as charismatic ambassadors of the ocean, linking conservation on land and sea," said a U.N. statement quoting an expert, Colin Limpus.

The comment came today as marine turtle experts from 25 nations opened a four-day meeting in Bangkok. The United Nations said the meeting will give particular attention to two hotspots — Bali, Indonesia, and Orissa, India — where green and olive ridley turtles are being affected by fishing and harvesting practices (Associated Press/Yahoo! News, March 17).

Sea turtles in the Northern Mariana Islands — a U.S. territory in the Pacific — are threatened with extinction, Division of Fish and Wildlife official Joe Ruak warned, because the local population is killing and eating them, Agence France-Presse reports. He estimates that there are fewer than 200 sea turtles in the islands (AFP/Yahoo! News, March 17). This week's meeting in Bangkok will review progress made in protecting the animals and their habitat since last year when a regional secretariat was created, the U.N. Environment Program said Tuesday.

The 16 signatory countries to the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding are doing more to protect marine turtles, which are threatened by human degradation of their habitat, fishing and harvesting for meat and eggs, according to UNEP. For example, the number of hawksbill turtles appears to be on the rise in the Persian Gulf region, and East Timor has introduced turtle conservation programs.

Australia and the United States say they will increase spending on turtle conservation, and Jordan, Pakistan and Oman are expected to become signatories to the memorandum this week, UNEP says. The signatory countries are: Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Comoros, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Myanmar, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam (U.N. release, March 16). [return]

Marine life at risk from seabed refuse
Situation bad at three popular tourist sites
Ranjana Wangvipula

Marine organisms at three popular tourist spots are facing a threat from increasing undersea garbage ranging from fishing-net debris to drink cans, the Marine and Coastal Resources Department has reported. Sixty volunteer divers last month retrieved at least one tonne of rubbish, including glass bottles, drink cans, pieces of hard plastics, and even an old sofa, from under the sea off Krabi's Phi Phi islands and Maya bay. The three-hour operation was aimed at cleaning up fish habitats at the two popular tourist spots.

"The retrived items formed only a small part'' of the undersea garbage found there, said the department's chief Maitree Duangsawasdi. It was as bad at Lan island off Pattaya, Chon Buri, where divers brought up from under the sea a large number of assorted items of rubbish, including an old television set. Mr Maitree said marine life forms at the Phi Phi islands were at risk from rubbish accumulating on the sea bed, especially fishing-net debris which landed on coral reefs covering parts of them and hindering their growth. Pieces of fishing nets left under the sea caused what fishermen called ``ghost fishing'' _ trapping of some swimming fish in such debris, which could eventually cause a sharp drop in the area's fish stock.

"I am at my wit's end about how to arrest those who throw rubbish into the sea,'' Mr Maitree said. The department would appeal to fishing and tour boats to refrain from dumping garbage into the sea. Also, more garbage bins would be provided along popular beaches. Tour boasts would be checked to ensure they bring their rubbish back to shore. The lack of garbage disposal facilities also forced some island communities to dump unused items into the sea, he said.

Cleaning up the seabed was much more difficult than treating waste on land, he added. The next resort island to be cleaned up is Koh Kradan off Trang, the designated site for the province's annual underwater wedding event. [return]

Rock-blasting in marine park
Bangkok Post Postbag, 09 December 2003

POSTBAG: Being avid fans of the undersea world, we feel compelled to write this letter in order, with hope, to draw the attention of authorities involved in managing environmental affairs. The last time we were diving at Moo Koh Surin National Park, we noticed that rock-blasting has occurred, possibly to facilitate the access of big vessels.

How, may we ask, can such an activity take place in such pristine waters not only considered as Thailand's best, but also among the world's finest? What our country needs is more dedicated people running the various national parks in Thailand, instead of those seeking to gain commercially.

We aren't environmental activists, but merely people who happen to appreciate what nature has given us and the need to understand why such conservation is essential for both the sake of nature and our future generations. [return]

Vigrant Amatayakul
Kajornsak Chullakesa

Proposal Will Threaten Endangered Species
The Daily News, 30 October 2003, By Carole Allen

Why is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposing to allow the hunting of endangered species as a so-called strategy to save them?

Until now, I regarded the USFWS as one of the strongest allies of the sea turtles.

Along with National Marine Fisheries Service, we could count on agency officials to stop international exploitation of sea turtles.

The bizarre proposal is now available for public comment and, hopefully, quick rejection. It would allow imports of sea turtle parts and products from other countries as well as other endangered species on the mistaken premise that income to those countries would be used for conservation purposes.

The idea that countries that place various species on the road to extinction would now be able to exploit them with U.S. blessing is a cruel joke that some misguided person must have hurriedly authored. Or is it a well-calculated step of the Bush administration to weaken the Endangered Species Act to let industry have its way with forests, land and wildlife?

If this proposal becomes the new policy, we will return to days of long ago, before 1973 and the passage of the Endangered Species Act, when millions of sea turtles were slaughtered to feed the tourist trade and provide sea turtle leather boots, jewelry and knick knacks, turtle oil lotion and an endless number of trivial items made from shells.

The act called a halt to the importation of products made from endangered animals including the sea turtles. Many of us rejoiced. No more would sea turtle shells be sold to hang as wall decorations. Juvenile sea turtles killed and dried would disappear from gift shop shelves. Eyeglasses and letter openers and a thousand other items could be made from plastic that looks exactly like hawksbill shell.

And how could we be sure the evil trade in sea turtle products would stop? We would depend on the vigilance of the U.S. Customs Service, USFWS and the courts. Although some greedy merchants still traffic in illegal products, sea turtle populations have benefited. The suggestion of this unbelievable proposal would be laughable if we did not know it has been seriously introduced for public comment.

And it isn't just the sea turtles that will suffer. Think about the endangered species of Africa, the elephants, lions, tigers and all the other animals trophy hunters want to slaughter and then prove they did it by bringing home magnificent animals reduced to wall hangings. What about all the low- budget circuses and carnivals that will rush to bring a poor animal to inhabit an inadequate cage?

We have until Nov. 10 to strike down this tragic and ridiculous proposal. Those who want to wade through the rhetoric and do their research can go to the Web site: http://policy.fws.gov/library/03-22777.html.

Comments can be sent to the Department of Interior at www.doi.gov/contact.html and e-mailed to the USFWS at ManagementAuthority@fws.gov.

If we do not demand that this shameful policy proposal be removed from government plans, many endangered species will disappear and the world we leave for our children will be significantly lessened.
-------
Carole Allen is the Gulf Office director of Sea Turtle Restoration Project and Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles (HEART).
2003 Galveston County Daily News. [return]

TAKE ACTION NOW!
Submitted by Carole Allen, Gulf Office Director
Sea Turtle Restoration Project/HEART (Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles)

A new White House proposal advocates the direct killing of endangered species. Action is needed immediately to stop it! The target is the 558 species listed as endangered in foreign countries and would affect sea turtles. Supposedly, giving Americans access to endangered animals skins, parts and trophies would allow poor nations to pay for conservation of the remaining animals and their habitat. This proposal is called "terrifying and shameful" by renowned conservationist Jane Goodall and is an onslaught against the ESA that could lead to more endangered species including sea turtles being killed or captured for profit.

Since it was signed into law in December of 1973, the Endangered Species Act has offered a protection for endangered species from around the world through a long-standing policy of severely restricting the trade of listed species including their parts and products made from endangered species - inside this country. The proposed new policy would reverse the 30-year ESA ban on trade of listed species and allow circuses, the pet industry, traffickers in animal parts such as jewelry made from sea turtle shells and boots from sea turtle skins.

We only have a few hours to stop this unbelievable reversal of protection for endangered animals including sea turtles.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Deadline: Friday, October 17, 2003

Please EMAIL or FAX THE U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FAX: 703-358-2280;

E- MAIL: ManagementAuthority@fws.gov

SUGGESTED COMMENTS:

TO: Chief, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
RE: Draft Policy for Enhancement-of-Survival Permits for Foreign Species

I am writing to urge you to reject the "Draft Policy for Enhancement-of-Survival Permits for Foreign Species Listed Under the Endangered Species Act."

The Endangered Species Act has offered a broad protection for endangered species from around the world through a long-standing policy of severely restricting the trade of listed species including their parts and products made from endangered species - inside this country. This has been a very effective way of protecting many animals which otherwise might have been kill out by poaching and the rampant wildlife trade. We include all species of sea turtles that are killed for their shells and hides.

The idea that reversing the long-standing policy against trafficking in endangered species will encourage poor countries to conserve endangered species is wrong and rejected by conservationists. There is no definition for what constitutes a conservation action and no means for ensuring that the profits from exploiting endangered species will be used to benefit those animals that will not have been hunted to extinction.

The record of most of these countries in enforcing existing protection is poor and this new policy will almost surely lead to increased poaching and be an incentive not for conservation but for the black- market and worldwide illegal trade in endangered species.

The U.S. Endangered Species Act and Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species have been one of the few effective means of addressing the trade in endangered species and the proposed policy changes would severely undermine these laws. We have placed our trust in the US Fish and Wildlife Service to be the guardian of endangered species and that is what we expect. This draft policy must be rejected.

The Federal Register notice is available at:
http://policy.fws.gov/library/03-22777.html

Submitted by Carole Allen, Gulf Office Director
Sea Turtle Restoration Project/HEART (Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles)
P. O. Box 681231
Houston, Texas 77268-1231
Telephone/FAX 281-444-6204

Scientists Want 6km Fishing Ban
Nets pushing turtles to verge of extinction
Bangkok Post, 09 October 2003, Achatthaya Cheun-niran

Marine scientists want the fishing ban extended from three to six kilometres off the coast, saying the number of animals being injured by fishing equipment, particularly turtles, is increasing. Supoj Chantrapornsin, of the Phuket Marine Resources Research and Development Institute, said three turtles which came ashore on the island this month had serious wounds caused by fishing nets,.

The mesh had entangled the turtles, which had been cut to the bone when they struggled to free themselves. One of the turtles had lost both flippers on its left side. The three turtles were being treated at the institute, but were in serious condition and might not survive, Mr Supoj said. The institute was already taking care of 10 other disabled turtles, as well as wounded dolphins, whales and dugongs. Some turtles were found to have mesh inside them which blocked their excretory systems and they died.

Mr Supoj urged fishermen to send animals injured by their nets to the institute for immediate treatment. He said the number of turtles in the Andaman Sea was diminishing and they could become extinct in less than 10 years if efforts to conserve them failed. Last year, only two turtle nests were found in Phangnga and one on Phuket. This year there was only one in Phangnga, with only 100-150 eggs. "Turtles are definitely in danger of extinction,'' he said.

Hawksbill, green, leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles were formerly common in the Andaman Sea. Mr Supoj said humans were the turtles' number one enemy because they stole their eggs, hunted them for export, polluted the sea and over-exploited coastal waters where they nested. Nesting grounds were usually about five kilometres offshore, so the fishing ban should be extended out to six kilometres, he said. Mr Supoj said the institute had only limited facilities for treating injured marine creatures. It had requested 60 million baht in state funds to increase its capability but there was no answer from the government.

Vice-Adm Pairoj Theerachai, commander of the Third Fleet, said the navy had a turtle conservation programme in the Andaman Sea since 1999, protecting eggs from poachers, hatching them and nursing baby turtles until they were able to return to the sea. The fleet had found 64 nests containing 7,477 eggs at Huyong island in Phangnga in 2001.

Manop Kidsang, chairman of the Mai Khao Turtle Fund in Phuket, said his group had raised and released 5,000-6,000 turtles into the sea in the past 10 years. The fund asked people who found turtle eggs to hand them over as part of the conservation programme, he said. JW Mariott Phuket Resort and Spa has established a sea turtle conservation foundation with a starting donation of two million baht. [return]

24th Sea Turtle Symposium 2004

The 24th STS will take place at the Herradura Hotel and International Conference Center in San Jose Costa Rica, from February 22-29, 2004. A full array of activities are being planned, including pre and post Symposium travel opportunities; a mini-symposium on Costa Rica's contribution to sea turtle research and conservation; plus banquets, music and cultural shows, a very special auction night and lots of chances to dance, discuss turtles, and enjoy the Latino hospitality for which Costa Rica is famous. I feel that there is no better venue that meets the criteria of being affordable, safe, fun and logistically un-complicated for a majority of Symposium participants.

This year's theme will be Sea Turtle Lifescapes. It urges us to consider marine turtles as pieces of greater biodiversity landscapes, to discuss the niches that sea turtles fill in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and to ponder as well their "fit" in Earth's broader Biosphere. More importantly, the 24th Symposium encourages us to analyze our own niche as powerful human components in the selfsame Biosphere, and to express our thoughts and voice our opinions about the most synergistic actions we can take as institutions, governments, as a sea turtle conservation "movement", and as individuals, to ensure that sea turtles thrive.

The following represents the current thinking of the organizers as regards the itinerary:
Friday, February 20, 2004
* Arrival of participants for the 11th Latin American Sea Turtle Specialists Meeting to take place in Ostional (Carlos Mario Orrego, Organizer)
* 11th Latin American Sea Turtle Specialists Meeting - check-in and registration
* Other Regional Meetings (to be announced)
Saturday, February 21
* All day - 11th Latin American Sea Turtle Specialists Meeting, other Regional Meetings (to be announced), and Pre-symposium excursions
Sunday, February 22
* Arrival of participants for the 24th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium & registration
* All day - 11th Latin American Sea Turtle Specialists Meeting, other regional Meetings (to be announced), and Pre-symposium excursions
Monday, February 23 - Friday, February 27
* Symposium oral and poster sessions, workshops and events
* Noon on Friday, Closing Ceremonies of the 24th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium
* shuttles to airport, and begin post-symposium excursions
Saturday, February 28
* Special ceremonies and press conference at Playa Grande, Guanacaste (for invited guests only)
Information for Presenters: The program committee will review all abstracts received prior to 15 November 2003. Final details are still being worked out regarding the themes and chairpersons for the various sessions in which oral and poster presentations will be organized. Please use the Symposium web site to access guidelines and to make your submission (the website is in progress).
Symposium Registration: You must register to attend the Symposium. The preferred registration method is to visit the Symposium's web site, which is in the process of being created.
Lodging and Transfers in Costa Rica: The Organizers are currently negotiating discounted airfares, as well as a formal relationship with a travel provider that will allow for the purchase of tickets and the arrangement of pre and post symposium travel on-line. We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hotel Herradura, which can be reserved by calling (+506) 239-0033, by faxing to (+506) 293-2713, or by e-mail to andrea@hotelherradura.com <mailto:andrea@hotelherradura.com>. The web site of the hotel is www.hotelherradura.com <http://www.hotelherradura.com>. Be sure to make reference to the Sea Turtle Symposium. The Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose is only 15-20 minutes away from the Herradura Hotel and International Conference Center, and shuttles will be made available at pre-determined times for Symposium participants. Please stay tuned for future articles in the Marine Turtle Newsletter, or check the Symposium website for updates on travel.
Visas: Americans and Canadians do not require a visa for Costa Rica, and indeed only a very small number of foreign countries are required to obtain a visa before entering Costa Rica. A "Public Interest Decree" is presently being negotiated with the government of Costa Rica, which will allow for the provision of special assistance to participants in the 24th Symposium requiring visa services. If you are from Colombia, South Africa or if you envision that you may have difficulty obtaining a visa in your home nation, please seek advice from the Symposium Organizing Committee, c/o Clara Padilla (Clarits@hotmail.com <mailto:Clarits@hotmail.com>).
ISTS Travel Assistance: As in past years, the ISTS will provide support for a limited number of qualified presenters at the 24th Symposium from around the world. The deadline for submission of applications will be 15 November 2003. The Chair of the ISTS Travel Committee is Dr. Jeffrey A. Seminoff, and additional information on travel awards will appear in MTN.
The ISTS, the Organizing Committee and I are all very excited about the 24th Symposium, and are working hard to assure that it will be both a wonderful experience for you, the participants, as well as a positive step for the conservation of sea turtles worldwide. Check our website for regular updates, and we will continue to provide additional information through the MTN. We look forward to seeing you in Costa Rica next February!

Roderic Mast, President
International Sea Turtle Society
Clara Padilla, Symposium Coordinator (San Jose, Costa Rica)

For greater details please refer to the full article in the Announcement section of MTN 101, to be found at www.seaturtle.org

Call For One Inclusive Marine Law
Bangkok Post, 07 August 2003, Ranjana Wangvipula

A national marine law is needed to solve conflicts over marine resources, the permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said.

Plodprasop Suraswadi told a two-day seminar on coastal environment on Tuesday that although the country already had fishery, navigation and marine national park laws to meet the requirements of state agencies, these laws did not look at the overall picture dealing with a wide scope of marine issues including security, economy, and the environment. Conflicts over the sea resources could happen as a result of different laws.

For example, while a mining law allows people to dig for tin in a certain area in the sea, a fishery law may want it preserved as the spawning ground for fish. "Marine-related laws must be codified into a single law,'' Mr Plodprasop said. "All sea water is linked and if we look at it with different laws, we'll fail."

A new marine law would be drafted now the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, which oversees the office of Thai marine policy and rehabilitation committee, was up and running. However, the plan also required strong support from MPs.

Meanwhile, environmental group Greenpeace has declared the seawaters off Map Ta Phut industrial estate in Rayong province a "toxic hotspot", calling it one of the most polluted areas in Thailand. The group said government research indicated seawater and sediment around the industrial estate has been contaminated by heavy metals such as mercury. Map Ta Phut is under a five-year pilot project for a toxic release inventory overseen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Pollution Control Department. [return]

Hugo to Help Save Ecology
Bangkok Post, 05 June 2003, Anchalee Kongrut

Teenage heart-throb Chulajak Chakkrapongse - known to fans as Hugo - will lead an ecology conservation campaign to help people understand how vital the seas are to us all. The Wildlife Fund Thailand (WFT) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have asked the actor and rock musician to support their joint campaign after having three TV spots shelved by networks as "lacking marketability".

"We've had these spots since the middle of last year, but the content was said to be not marketable," said WFT secretary-general Suraphon Duangkhae. They hoped Hugo's face and fame would entice the public, teenagers in particular, to take an interest in the problem of over-fishing, local fishery traditions and pressing issues of marine ecology such as the importance of seagrass and other marine plants which provide fish spawning grounds and nurseries.

Hugo said his role was to present the crucial issues of marine ecology in everday language, which would be quite a challenge. "For people who live in towns, issues like seagrass, endangered sea turtles and dugongs are largely unheard of."

Department of Marine and Coastal Resources director-general Maitree Duangsawasdi said the marine ecology and fish stocks in Thai waters were being threatened as never before. "Biologists at the Fisheries Department have found that fish caught in Thai seas have become smaller and fewer," he said. [return]

Conservationists Rush to Save Asian Species
Bangkok Post, 15 March 2003
Sharon Guynup, National Geographic

In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, live animal markets teem with turtles and tortoises by the thousands dozens of species piled in vats and buckets. During the past decade, new wealth in China and throughout Asia has spurred an unprecedented demand for turtles as food, as traditional Chinese medicine and as pets. Demand has depleted the population of many species, creating what conservationists call "the Asian turtle crisis". But a worldwide save-the-turtle movement has mobilised.

Experts believe that four Chinese species may be extinct in the wild. The World Conservation Union (IUCN), in Gland, Switzerland, lists 67 of the 90 Southeast Asia species as threatened, up from 33 in 1996. The crisis has become global. "As time passes, those market tentacles reach out to include animals from Africa and South America", says John Behler, curator at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. The drain causes an ecological domino effect. "You can't collect literally millions of turtles from China and Southeast Asia without great impairment to ecology from the wetland environments from which they come," Behler explains.

"In China, eating turtles is an ancient, time-honoured tradition that should be respected," says Anders Rhodin, director of the Chelonian Research Foundation in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. "But if the current trend continues, they will be eaten into extinction." Traditional Chinese medicine ascribes great power to the turtle to purify the blood, to cure diseases and to bestow longevity or virility.. The Chinese three-striped box turtle, a purported cancer cure, can fetch up to $1,200 on the black market. Turtle meat also remains an important source of protein and a preferred dish for special events.