Report
of the 1st ASEAN
Symposium Workshop on
Marine Turtle Conservation
Symposium Workshop on
Marine Turtle Conservation
| OCEAN AMBASSADORS |
Report
of the 1st ASEAN
Symposium Workshop on Marine Turtle Conservation |
|
Report
of the 1st ASEAN Symposium Workshop
1. Introduction 1.1 The ASEAN Region
is recognized as an important habitat of the endangered marine turtles.
In recent decades, however, marine turtles in the Region have experienced
a significant decline in population due to the continued over-exploitation
for trade and local consumption and the accidental drowning in the fishing
industry, as well as habitat modification (degradation) resulting from
ill-planned coastal development. The destruction of the habitats of marine
turtles have likewise taken a heavy toll on their numbers. 1.3 The need for a regional conservation program was recognized and presented as a recommendation during the First Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation (AWGNC). The meeting agreed that a proposal be submitted to the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) for consideration. 1.4 During the second meeting of the AWGNC in Manila on 6-7 November 1991, the Philippines recommended that a Regional Symposium Workshop first be conducted to evaluate the regional status of these testudines and to serve as a preparatory phase for the formulation of a comprehensive regional strategy. 1.5 The symposium workshop was held in Manila, Philippines on 6-10 December 1993. 1.6 The symposium workshop was attended by delegates, resource speakers and observers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Australia and Japan. 2. Opening of Symposium Workshop 2.1. Dr. Corazon Catibog-Sinha, Director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines) delivered the Opening Remarks. 2.2 She conveyed appreciation for the presence of the delegates and their readiness to get actively involved in the endeavor to conserve marine turtles. She thanked the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for their patronage. She expressed confidence that the symposium/workshop will enable member-nations of the ASEAN to tackle the issue of marine conservation collectively, and therefore, effectively. 2.3 Dr. Celso Roque, WWF-US Director for Asia-Pacific, delivered the Welcome Address. 2.4 Dr. Roque cited WWF-Japan, in particular, for making the workshop possible. He said that the 1st ASEAN Symposium Workshop on Marine Turtle Conservation is a workshop of many firsts. This is the first time WWF-Japan ventured on a regional activity; the first collaborative effort between ASEAN countries on marine turtles and the first time WWF-US sponsors an ASEAN workshop. 2.5 He revealed that in the draft ASEAN action plan, there is heavy emphasis on nature conservation and biodiversity. He suggested that the workshop consider a study on the formulation of a draft agreement on the conservation of marine turtles. 2.6 Hon. Undersecretary Joel Muyco of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources delivered the Keynote Address. 2.7. Undersecretary Joel Muyco stressed that a regional program on marine turtle management and conservation may prove to be the most effective step towards the replenishment and continued survival of marine turtles in the ASEAN Region. The symposium, according to the Undersecretary, is an excellent venue where member-nations of the ASEAN can exchange findings and experiences in connection with marine turtle research and management. The presentation of country and technical reports is expected to yield significant inputs which, when pieced together, will bring about a clearer, more accurate picture of the status of marine turtles in the Region. It is envisioned that from this activity will sprout a viable, responsible and sustainable program acceptable to the affected communities. 3. Business Arrangements 3.1 The Symposium-Workshop was held in plenary. 3.2 It was also agreed to form three working groups to facilitate deliberations on the ASEAN Program for Marine Turtle Conservation and report to the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation (AWGNC). The Symposium Workshop took note of the program of activities. 4. Adoption of Agenda 4.1 The Symposium-Workshop adopted the agenda. 5. Lectures on Relevant Topics 5.1 Director Blesila C. Cabrera of the Department of Foreign Affairs (ASEAN Affairs) delivered a lecture on the ASEAN Decision-Making Process. 5.2 According to Director Cabrera, following the ASEAN process, project proposals by the working group are elevated to their respective communities. It is the committee which reports and makes recommendations to the ASEAN standing Committee. 5.3 Dr. Corazon Catibog-Sinha talked on factors that threaten marine biodiversity in the ASEAN Region. 5.4. Dr Sinha discussed the basis of biodiversity. She identified three levels: genetic, species and ecosystem biodiversity. She recognized that our understanding of terrestrial biodiversity is more than that of marine biodiversity. Despite being poorly understood, the Indo-West Pacific was the richest in terms of marine biodiversity. She described the utility of marine ecosystems as sources of food and medicine. She categorized three threats: those due to recreational use and those arising from natural phenomena. She described the legal and institutional framework which governs marine conservation activities in the Philippines. 5.5 Dr. Prescillano M. Zamora of the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology talked on the Integrated Protected Areas System (IPAS) as a tool for the Management of Sea Turtles in the ASEAN Region. He was assisted by computer specialists from Cybersoft Information Technology Systems, Inc., who discussed the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 5.6 Dr. Zamora said that the IPAS concept can be a very important tool in formulating an ASEAN regional marine turtle conservation program. He also stated that the best protected area management plans are rewritten several times as refinements are introduced. 5.7 According to Mr. Rommel Caranto of Cybersoft, GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data and personal design to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of geographic reference information. 5.8 Dr. Colin Limpus of the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage discussed the Biology and Ecology of marine turtles. He also talked on the worldwide status of marine turtle conservation. 5.9 Dr. Limpus said that the symposium-workshop is a learning experience for all the participants. Making effective use of maps, charts and pictures, he talked about the physical characteristics of marine turtles, a history of the animals, their life stages, and the tools and methods used in studying them. 5.10 According to Dr. Limpus, millions of years back, there were about seven families of marine turtles but at present, only seven species remain. Turtles about to breed depart from their home feeding area and swim perhaps hundred, maybe up to 3,000 kilometers to their traditional breeding sites. When they reach their destination, courtship occurs. Sea turtles lay a number of clutches within one season and after nesting, leaving the breeding sites and return after some years. 5.11 Dr. Limpus discussed the worldwide status of marine turtle conservation, he reported that the primary cause of the decline of marine turtle populations is their exploitation by man. Marine turtles and their eggs are being exploited as food. The carapace and skin of the animal are also being processed into products that are commercially traded. Large numbers of marine turtles, Dr. Limpus said, are victimized by various fishing gears. 6. Presentation of Country Reports 6.1 Indonesia 6.1.2. Six species of marine turtles were identified in Indonesia: Dermochelys coriacea, Lepidochelys olivacea, Eretmochelys imbricata, Caretta caretta, Natator depressus, and Chelonia mydas. He gave an overview of the distribution and abundance of these species. After describing the Managing Authority for marine turtles, he enumerated six major problem areas encountered in marine turtle conservation program. He also outlined a five-point Action Plan which addresses these problems. Finally, he presented both the short-term and long-term programs for marine turtles. 6.2 Malaysia 6.2.1. The country paper entitled The Status of Marine Turtle Conservation in Peninsular Malaysia was presented by Mr. Kamarrudin bin Ibrahim. 6.2.2. Four species of marine turtles and one species of estuarine terrapin occur in Peninsular Malaysia. D. coriacea nest only on the east coast in the states of Terengganu and Pahang. E. imbricata are predominantly found in Melaka, on the west coast. C. mydas are on Terrengganu State. The painted terrapin (Callagur boneoensis) are reported to nest close to river mouths of some states. Due to the various factors, the population of marine turtles in Peninsular Malaysia shows a declining trend despite the increasing conservation efforts undertaken by both the government agencies and NGOs. The presentation provided information on the population status, exploitation, threats and status of management and conservation practices in Peninsular Malaysia. The problem areas, research and management needs are also highlighted. 6.3 Philippines 6.3.1. The country report for the Republic of the Philippines entitled Marine Turtle Conservation in the Philippines was presented by Mr. Jose Angelito M. Palma. 6.3.2 Of the five species of marine turtles present in the Philippines, the green turtle (C. mydas) and the hawksbill (E. imbricata) are dominant. A significant green turtle nesting population is located in Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi, believed to be one of the few remaining in the world. Almost 80% of the country's green turtle nesting population can be found in the area. From 1951-92, a significant 88% decline in egg production was estimated. In 1979, the Pawikan Conservation Project (PCP) became the government's response to the dwindling marine turtle resources. The PCP is currently conducting management-oriented research; habitat protection; and information/education activities, to ensure the conservation of the marine turtles in the Philippines. 6.4 Thailand 6.4.1 A country report entitled The Status of Sea Turtles in Thailand was presented by Mr. Supot Chantrapornsyl. 6.4.2 Four species of sea turtles remain in Thai waters: C. mydas, E. imbricata, L. olivacea and D. coriacea. Biological research such as nesting behavior, clutch size and egg size, has been conducted to improve conservation efforts. All nesting sites have been observed. Sea turtle populations are declining. Two important nesting sites have been identified: Khram Island in the Gulf of Thailand for greens and hawksbills and the Andaman Sea coastline in southwest Thailand for leatherbacks and olive ridleys. Small populations of greens and hawksbills also nest in the Andaman Islands. Seasonality has been determined. Artificial hatching rate and hatchling size have been recorded and compared to those from nature. A headstart program has been established at the Phuket Marine Biological Center. Growth rate, food preference and mortality were studied. Diseases of green turtle in captivity were examined. Methods for control of the diseases have been discussed. Green and hawksbill turtles have not declined drastically, because their nesting area is controlled by the Thai Navy. Nesting olive ridley and leatherbacks have declined significantly. The decline is caused by overexploitation, incidental and intentional catch in fishing gears, the development and construction of beach fronts for tourism. Remaining nesting areas belong mostly to the national parks. 7. Presentation of Technical Reports 7.1 Indonesia 7.1.1 The technical report entitled An Attempt for Sea Turtles Conservation in Paloh, District of Sambas, West Kalimantan Province was presented by Mr. Soeparno Soehadi. 7.1.2 The economic significance of marine turtle-based products were discussed. The boundaries and geography of the Palu area were described. Three species of marine turtles were reported: C. mydas, E. imbricata and L. olivacea. Nesting areas and seasonality were monitored. Resource management activities such as hatcheries, nurseries were conducted and the available facilities were enumerated. The annual program for 1994 and 1995 were discussed. 7.2 Malaysia 7.2.1 The technical report entitled Status and Management of Sea Turtles at Turtle Islands Park was presented by Mr. Paul Basintal and Mr. Maklarin Lakim 7.2.2 The history and status of sea turtle populations and their management in Turtle Islands Park from 1980 to the present, the recent turtle conservation program in Pulau Sipadan, and the socio-economic importance of turtles were discussed. The management of sea turtles in the park covers beach and surrounding waters patrol, hatchery management, hatchling management, and visitor management. Research on sea turtles is confined to data collection and tagging. The data collected represent a most complete and useful basis for rational turtle management. Report on turtle tag recoveries come mostly from the Philippines. The Malaysian National University, Sabah Campus (UKMS) initiated a research program in 1989 on the establishment of sea turtles data bank with cooperation from the Sabah Parks. The program discontinued following a change of personnel in the UKMS. Turtle nestings generally show a downward trend until 1987. The following year marks the reversal of the nesting trend. The situation, however, is too early for further comment. Finally, a joint management effort is necessary in order to save the turtle populations in the Sulu Sea. 7.2.3 The technical report entitled The Green Turtle Conservation Programme, 1992 at the Sarawak Turtle Islands was presented by Dr. Charles Leh. 7.2.4 A total of 154,090 green turtle eggs from 1690 clutches were laid at the Sarawak Turtle Islands in 1992. Of the total number of green turtle eggs collected, 84.1% (comprising 19.9%) in situand 64.2% (hatchery) were replanted under the current conservation programme. The rest of the eggs laid in the wet monsoon months were sold to raise funds for the conservation works. The average range of hatchery hatch rate was 11.4-68.4% depending on the island and the month of replanting. In general, in situ hatch rates were higher at 16.7-94.4% at the Turtle Islands. The low hatch rates of in situ nests was due to the disturbance from renesting turtles and rising water table in some months. In general, the conservation programme was successful in 1992. 7.3 Philippines 7.3.1 The technical paper entitled Research Needs and Management Considerations for the Conservation of Sea Turtles in the ASEAN Region was presented by Dr. Rhodora T.D. Ramirez-de Veyra. 7.3.2 Scientific researches are intrinsic in the development of sound management schemes for both the terrestrial and marine habitats utilized by marine turtles. Research needs for the terrestrial habitat include effective tagging procedures, nesting incidence and hatching success monitoring, genetic analysis of stocks, sex determination in hatchlings and monitoring the health status of nesters and hatchlings. Other researches should deal with the study of the effects of pollution (e.g., chemical and physical debris), sand erosion or beach nourishment and photopollution on the activities of pelagic and nesting turtles as well as emergent hatchlings. For the marine habitats, vessel and habitat surveys, as well as telemetry studies are necessary to acquire information on the behavior of turtles during its various life stages. 7.3.3 The technical paper entitled The Philippine-Sabah Turtle Islands: A Critical Management Area for Sea Turtles of the ASEAN Region was presented by Mr. Romeo B. Trono. 7.3.4 Nine islands straddling the Philippine-Sabah Treaty Limits requires serious effects to conserve sea turtles in the ASEAN Region. This group of islands together with the Berau Islands of Indonesia is regarded as the only remaining major green turtle rookery in the entire Region with a combined annual nesting population size range of 1,953-5,440. Over 14,000,000 eggs have been produced from 1984-92 with the islands on the Philippine side contributing about 72% and the remaining 28% laid on the three nesting islands on the Sabah side. Approximately 10% of the eggs transplanted and hatchlings released from the Sabah hatcheries were hawksbills making the area an important hawksbill nesting site. Although divided by the treaty limits, data on tag recoveries gathered by the Pawikan Conservation Project (PCP) and the Sabah National Parks (SNP) have demonstrated the fact that this group of islands is a single well-defined rookery. Successful conservation of these important nesting islands therefore require a concerted effort by both the Philippine and Malaysian Governments. The establishment of the group of islands as the first ASEAN Transfrontier Marine Turtle Sanctuary is proposed. Interim actions pertaining to research and management are also proposed. 7.3.5 A technical paper entitled Some Manipulative Factors Affecting Hatchling Production in the Baguan Island Marine Turtle Sanctuary Hatchery was presented by Dr. Arnel Andrew SP. Yaptinchay, D.V.M. 7.3.6 Five Hundred (500) artificial nests of green turtles (C. mydas) were studied in the Baguan Island Marine Sanctuary (BIMTS) to determine the effects of some manipulative procedures being practiced in the hatchery. This includes shading, altering the clutch size and mixing two clutches at different proportions. Results revealed that: hatching success was higher in natural nests, hatching success was not affected by shading, sex ratio can be manipulated to match the wild by shading a calculated proportion of the nests, there is an increase in hatching success when the clutch size is altered from the natural (average 100.12) to a range of 60-80 eggs per nest regardless of shading, however, the hatching success is decreased when eggs are mixed compared to unmixed eggs regardless of shading. 7.4 Thailand 7.4.1 A technical paper entitled Nesting Behavior and Some Biological Aspects of Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) in Captivity was presented by Mr. Supot Chantrapornsyl 7.4.2 In 1992, the Phuket Marine Biological Center began studies on the biology and breeding behavior of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in captivity. A large pond with an artificial sandy beach on one side was constructed for these studies. Six males and 14 females that had been reared at the Center for 16 years were released into the pond. In December 1992, a female laid a clutch of 122 eggs. The average egg size was 38.5 mm. Incubation period was 56 days. Average carapace length of hatchlings was 43.0 mm; average weight was 19.0g. Hatchling success was 89.6%. The behavior and characteristics of turtles born and reared in captivity were similar to that of turtles observed in the wild. 7.5 Other presentations 7.5.1 An update entitled Summary of Sea Turtle Management Seminar and Policy for National Parks in Thailand was presented by Mr. Samuel Settle. 7.5.2 The Office of Natural Resources Conservation held a seminar on November 16-17, 1993 at Sirinat National Park. The objectives of the seminar were to increase knowledge about sea turtle biology and conservation among Thailand's park administrators and staff, and to formulate management guidelines for its parks. Park superintendents, Navy and Fisheries Department officials, NGO representatives and regional experts attended. On November 23-24, rangers attended a training on sea turtle biology and proper management techniques. From the seminar, a set of guidelines for the parks and central office regarding sea turtle management was drafted. The problems and limitations of head-starting were emphasized in the seminar, training and guidelines. 7.5.3 Dr. Limpus, adviser of the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP) talked on On-going Regional Marine Turtle Conservation Programs. 7.5.4 Dr. Limpus is one of two scientific advisers of the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP). Representatives of countries involved in SPREP meet yearly to share experiences and findings. Among the priorities of SPREP is the maintenance of a data base of marine turtles in the area, and of legislation and traditional information connected with marine turtles. Aside from the upkeep of a data base, other components of SPREP are: the monitoring of marine turtle resources and the performance of educational activities aimed at marine turtle conservation. SPREP is now in its second 3-year program. 7.5.5 Dr. Limpus also reported the existence of an international treaty signed by the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea. The treaty identifies the Torres Strait as a protected zone and covers six groups of marine resources, among which is the marine turtle. Signed 14 years ago, the treaty allows the exploitation of these resources as long as it is in the context of traditional utilization. 8. Workshop 8.1 The participants and observers were divided into three groups: Research and Monitoring, Information and Institutional Building, Resource Management, to discuss the Proposed ASEAN Program for Marine Turtle Conservation. A plenary session was convened to consolidate and revise the Program. 9. Recommendations 9.1 The recommendations are embodied in the workshop output entitled "The Proposed ASEAN Regional Marine Turtle Conservation Program." 10. Consideration and Adoption of Report 10.1 The symposium-workshop considered and adopted the report of the First ASEAN Symposium Workshop on Marine Turtle Conservation. 11. Acknowledgment and Closing 11.1 The closing remarks were delivered by Senator Francisco Tatad. 11.2 The symposium-workshop was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN solidarity and cordiality.
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