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Calendar
- March 01, 2006, Year of the Sea Turtle campaign launched by SPREP in Samoa. Contact: Lui Bell, or Anne Patricia Trevor.
- 3- 8 April, 2006, 26th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium. Island of Crete, Greece. Contact: Dimitris Margaritoulis, or Thanos Belalidis.
- 19 - 21 April, 2006: First International Symposium on Mangroves As Fish Habitat. Miami, Florida, USA
- 22 April, 2006: World Earth Day
- 22 April, 2006: Dive in to Earth Day
Recent Publications
We have the following publications available for the Year of the Sea Turtle Campaign:
Poster: WARNING » It is Illegal to kill turtles in Fiji
» Download the poster (1MB) or order a
printed copy.
Poster: Save a Cultural Icon from Exctinction!
» Download the poster (0.5MB) or order a
printed copy.
Wallpaper your Desktop! and spread the turtle message to your colleagues!
Choose a Turtle Wallpaper »
Factsheet: Fiji Marine Turtles » Download PDF (1.4MB)
Matchbox: Buy matches in Fiji and support the Year of the Sea Turtle Campaign!
Other recent marine publications
Melanesian Marine Turtles Conservation Forum Report
Consumer Choices for Sustainable Seafood
WWF Statement to the 2nd Meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC-2)
2006 is the Year of the Sea Turtle
Turtle Facts
- A dinosaur's contemporary » Turtles have been around for millions of years; their ancestors shared the world with dinosaurs
- 1 turtle breeds in every 1,000 eggs » It is estimated that only one out of 1,000 turtle eggs actually produces a turtle that lives long enough to breed
- A turtle represents Pacific unity » Turtles connect Pacific island countries, joined in spirit by the deep blue of the Pacific ocean.
- Turtles can live up to 60-70 years!
- Turtles can travel up to 3,000 kilometres across the sea.
- Six of the seven species of sea turtles in the world are found in the Pacific
Turtles are threatened. If we dont look after them, they will become extinct, like the dinosaurs!
Marine News
Solomon Islands Joins The Pacific Region “Year Of The Sea Turtle” Campaign
Gizo, Western Province – A renewed effort to protect endangered sea turtles will be launched in Gizo today. This event was marked around the region on the 2nd of March, however for the Solomon Islands the launching date is 9th March. The 2006 Pacific Year of the Sea Turtle (YOST) declared by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is a renewed commitment by SPREP member countries and international and national NGOs working within the SPREP member countries to conserve the endangered marine turtles.
As part of this effort, WWF Solomon Islands will, over the course of the year, work towards creating nationwide awareness on the threats to turtles such as turtle by-catch and will work with government, donors, communities and NGO partners to agree and undertake actions to protect these ancient mariners (marine turtles). Good examples of this collaboration in the Solomons are the Tetepare Descendant Association effort in affiliation with WWF in protecting the nesting rookery for leatherback turtle in Tetepare and the TNC, government marine conservation area in the Arnavon Islands in partnership with local communities of Katupika, Wagina and Kia.
» Related Article: Solomon Star News Article “Partnership in Conservation”
Fiji Joins “Year of the Sea Turtle” Campaign
A renewed effort to protect endangered sea turtles will be launched in Fiji today. This coincides with similar events around the region to mark the 2006 Pacific Year of the Sea Turtle (YOST) declared by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Today, six of the seven living species of marine turtle are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered. Populations of green turtles are estimated to have declined globally by around 60% over the last 50 years. Fiji is an important foraging ground for green turtles. Hence the urgent need to conserve them.
PNG and Indonesian Government officials visit Solomon Islands to progress marine turtle conservation
Government delegations from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have travelled to Solomon Islands this week to continue progress towards a tri-national agreement on the conservation and management of the critically endangered leatherback turtle.
Following the first preparatory committee meeting in Port Moresby in October last year, when an Expression of Commitment on Western Pacific leatherback turtle conservation was first announced, the Solomon Islands Government hosted a second meeting from 21-23 February 2006.
Tri-national Protection for Leatherback Turtles
26 October 2005 WWF 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).
New species found in Fiji's Great Sea Reef, WWF survey reveals
The first ever comprehensive survey of Fijis largely uncharted Great Sea Reef, the worlds third longest barrier reef, has revealed a staggering array of life, including a new species of reef fish.
In efforts to protect the fragile ecosystem, local village chiefs in Fiji have launched the first of the countrys networks of Marine Protected Areas on the Great Sea Reef, which include permanent tabu zones, where no fishing or harvesting of other marine resources can take place.