WWF Applauds Tri-National Leatherback Turtle Conservation
26 October 2005
Port Moresby – WWF today congratulated the Governments of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands for their commitment to a tri-national partnership focused on conserving the western Pacific leatherback turtle within the Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregion. The three governments stated their intention to develop this partnership during the Council for the Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP) Segment of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Summit, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
“The three governments have a major responsibility to secure the future of this regional marine ambassador,” said The Honourable William Duma, Minister of Environment and Conservation of PNG, in his opening speech. The beaches of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands support the largest remaining leatherback turtle populations in the Pacific. Leatherback turtles are classified as critically endangered, with continuing decrease of numbers in Pacific populations in recent years.
The tri-national partnership recognizes the need to protect and manage the marine resources of the region across the geopolitical boundaries that divide it, providing an example of cross-boundary leadership and cooperation. Successful conservation of highly migratory marine species such as the leatherback is a key requirement of these countries’ obligations under several international agreements such as the Convention on Biodivesity (CBD).
In recognizing the importance of the tri-national partnership, Jim Leape, the Director General Designate of WWF, said, “Protecting the Bismarck and Solomon Seas seascape is globally significant for a number of ecosystems and species, ranging from coral reefs, to migratory species such as tuna, whales and leatherback turtles”.
The tri-national partnership – with anticipated support and commitment of the international community - will promote conservation through the systematic exchange of information and data on research, population and migratory routes monitoring, nesting sites and feeding areas management activities of Western Pacific leatherback turtles.
Critical to the success of the partnership is the commitment of local communities to conservation. ”Representatives of community groups from Papua, Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Islands have been presented Community Leadership certificates by WWF to acknowledge their leadership as custodians who have willingly set aside their customary areas for the conservation of the critically endangered leatherback turtle” said Lisette Wilson, WWF Bismarck Solomon Seas coordinator.
“The seascape – the Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregion – is a critical Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles nesting site, and has been identified as a global priority for conservation and sustainable management by scientific, government and community experts” said Ms. Hitipeuw, WWF Indonesia Leatherback turtle coordinator . Leatherback turtles and their habitats are threatened by human activities directly or indirectly, including egg poaching, habitat destruction, incidental mortality from fishing gears, pollution and poorly planned coastal development.
For further information, please contact: Liz Wilson of WWF PNG, Coordinator of the Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregions Program, tel. +675 323 9855. Creusa Hitipeuw, Leatherback Turtle Project Leader WWF-Indonesia, tel. +62 812485 6441. Notes to Editor: • The Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregion is a biological wonder of the world. It is known as the “Western Indo Pacific cradle of coral biodiversity”. It stretches from the Bird’s Head (Doberai) Peninsula of Papua, across the Admiralty and Bismarck archipelagos of Papua New Guinea, to Makira Island of the Solomons, covering approximately 2,5 million sq km and home to approximate 3 million people of which 80% rely on coastal resources for their livelihoods. • Leatherback turtles are classified as critically endangered. In recent years the numbers of both the eastern and western Pacific leatherback have plummeted. Some populations in the region have declined by as much as 90% in the last twenty years. • A coherent program to ensure the survival of the Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles would contribute to meeting commitments made under a number of international Treaties and Conventions, such as the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially for Waterfowl Habitats (Ramsar). • WWF in partnership with many other organizations is helping address the fishing threat by encouraging the use of turtle excluder devices in trawl nets to prevent entrapment of turtles. And more recently, WWF and government and industry partners are promoting the use of circle hooks for longline fishing – this hook hugely reduces accidental capture of turtles without harming fishing catches. These circle hooks are currently being piloted in the three countries. • The presentation of certificates and acknowledgement of governments will take place at a side event, hosted by WWF, Department of Environment and Conservation, PNG, and partners, of the Council for the Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP) Segment of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Summit, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The event celebrates local community leadership in leatherback turtle conservation in Papua, Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Islands, and provides an opportunity for the governments of these three countries to state their intention to form a tri-national partnership and implementation plan for the conservation of leatherback turtles.
For further information, call Peku Pilimbo/Liz Wilson on (675) 323 9855 or email Liz at lwilson@wwfpacific.org.pg, the DEC-WWF And Partners Organizing Committee.