Protecting Marine Turtles Takes a Village... and a Common Vision

Marine turtles are migratory species that traverse oceans, cross national borders, and depend on geographically dispersed habitats to fulfil their life cycle. Protecting marine turtles from the numerous transboundary threats they face require conservation actors to work towards the same goals, such that their actions are not inadvertently at cross-purposes. Therefore, all stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists, community groups and the public must collaborate, and this is no easy feat. 

The IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU plays a significant role in facilitating successful collaborative marine turtle conservation efforts. This year marks twenty-five years since it came into effect, and we will explore how it works, who the different actors are, and the different roles these actors play to achieve the goals that were outlined and have been expanded on by Signatory States since 2001. 

The Role of International Agreements

International meetings and fora provide a space for countries to voice their priorities and concerns on a range of international issues. As a legally non-binding agreement that was developed over a series of intergovernmental negotiations from October 1999 to June 2001, the shared goal of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU is to "protect, conserve, replenish and recover marine turtles and their habitats, based on the best scientific evidence, taking into account the environmental, socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the Signatory States". 

Since its establishment, the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU has enabled Signatory States to collaborate towards a future in which marine turtle populations are secure, resilient, and functioning as healthy components of marine and coastal ecosystems. 

Progress is not possible without systems and processes in place to facilitate collaboration across regions. The IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU has developed an organizational structure with different groups to engage actors in the various processes and issues across the Secretariat. The MOU bodies all play an important role in supporting the implementation of the Conservation and Management Plan (CMP).

In order to facilitate the implementation of the CMP, the Meeting of the Signatories (MOS) adopts Work Programmes for the following years, with the current one for the period 2024-2028. The MOS reviews implementation progress and will adopt an updated Work Programme for the next period that identifies priorities for the Signatories, other actors at national level, the Advisory Committee (AC), the Marine Turtle Task Forces (MTTFs) and the Secretariat. It specifies what guidance material is required and what working groups are needed to make progress with priority topics.

These Work Programmes get developed in a consultative way, based on early drafts by the AC with support from the Secretariat and consultations with the sub-regions. The MOS will consider the final draft submitted by the AC following all consultations, will make final changes, and adopt the new Work Programme. 

What is the IOSEA Martine Turtle MOU Conservation and Management Plan? The CMP identifies 6 primary objectives of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU and assigns, under each objective, programmes and activities. The graphic below provides an example of how the objectives, programmes and activities relate. Signatories are to determine the priority of each activity for their country and are to report on their implementation progress to date. National reporting processes provide information on how goals are being met across the region and help identify how Signatories are tracking towards the shared goals and could improve their implementation. National Focal Points engage scientists and local conservationists throughout the National Reporting process.  The complete list of CMP objectives, related programmes and activities can be found here.

From Commitment to Action: National Laws and Policies

With shared goals, guidance, and plans in place internationally, governments turn their focus to their country-based conservation efforts. This includes efforts such as:

• Designating National Focal Points and MTTF members, if applicable, and enabling them to engage effectively.
• Active participation in Working Groups.
• Prohibiting take of marine turtles and their eggs.
• Developing or strengthening guidance on permissible thresholds of environmental impacts for projects.
• Allocating a portion of their budget to marine turtle conservation, from research funding, to designing an MPA, marine park rangers’ wages, for staff to engage in international conservation discussions, and to cover their share in the MOU budget as agreed by each MOS.
• Ensuring their ministries or sub bodies across different sectors work together to achieve the agreed conservation goals (i.e. through national networks).
• Developing national action plans for marine turtle conservation. 

To support Signatory States in achieving the best possible conservation outcomes, the MOU releases publications and technical reports with the most up-to-date science and guidance for governments to use and adapt to their local contexts. This guidance not only ensures national objectives align with those agreed under the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU but also facilitates further engagement with local and non-governmental actors.

Conservation on the Ground: Where Protection Becomes Reality

Local authorities, NGOs and community groups often play a key role in working towards meeting the overall conservation goals of the MOU. To ensure their work does not inadvertently work at cross-purposes, coordination is needed. The MOU encourages Signatory States to develop national committees or networks to facilitate this collaboration. 

Stakeholders such as local council or local government staff, NGOs, local community groups, Indigenous Peoples, private entities and the general public both directly and indirectly support the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU by meeting conservation shortfalls (i.e. capacity, campaigns, funding, technical expertise and on-ground presence). NGOs, including charities, and researchers can target specific conservation issues. 

The knowledge and lived experiences of these stakeholders offer unique opportunities for the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU and its Signatories to refine their policies and priorities, which is vital to the continued success of marine turtle conservation. 

An Agreement Is Only as Strong as the People Behind It

The IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU supports marine turtle conservation through an ongoing cycle of collaboration, implementation, monitoring, and improvement. By working closely with governments, NGOs, researchers, and local communities, it encourages broad participation in conservation efforts. 

Regional and national reporting provides information on progress towards the MOU's objectives and helps identify emerging challenges and opportunities. This process encourages national governments to engage local stakeholders and adapt conservation measures to their specific cultural, social, and economic contexts. The lessons and data generated through these efforts are then shared with the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, enabling it to refine its strategies and priorities over time.

It is also important to recognize that conservation success depends on a wider network of complementary initiatives. Scientific bodies such as the IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group play a vital role by providing research, expertise, and technical guidance. The effectiveness of the overall conservation effort is strengthened when experts, scientific organizations, the MOU Secretariat, and Signatory States maintain active communication and share knowledge.

The greatest strength of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU is the network of people and institutions that make up an interdependent ‘village’ of actors and who turn commitments into outcomes; without this, an agreement remains just a document. 

Continued success will depend on maintaining cooperation, sharing and disseminating knowledge, and supporting action at every level. Giving marine turtles the best chance to thrive in the future will always need both a common vision and a village.

This article is one of a series celebrating the 25th anniversary of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU. Please refer to all here:

1. From Perth to Manila: How a Regional Vision for Marine Turtles Became Reality
2. The IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU – 25 Years of Collaboration for the Conservation of Marine Turtles
3. Marine Turtles: Unique and Amazing Travellers
4. Protecting Marine Turtles Takes a Village... and a Common Vision

As we celebrate 25 years of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, we showcase some of the people, initiatives and communities that have contributed to marine turtle conservation across the region. Visit our Story Map to discover their stories.