Progressing the conservation of marine turtles in the Pacific : an options paper for SPREP member countries : working draft

The migratory nature of marine turtles and their dependence upon habitats in both the Eastern and Western Pacific Ocean makes broader, Pacific-wide cooperation a necessity to ensure that all critical habitats are covered and that marine turtles are protected throughout all of their life stages. For the last seven years, there has been an interest in creating a mechanism through which States around and across the Pacific could cooperate to promote the conservation and management of marine turtles. The members of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), following the adoption of a comprehensive marine turtle action plan, have recently revitalized discussions regarding a proposed new Pacific-wide arrangement under the auspices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). To determine the objectives of a new agreement, this options paper has been prepared. This paper presents information on existing agreements in the Pacific, as well as identifying and analyzing how these agreements address threats to sea turtle conservation and recovery.