Commemorating the World Sea Turtle Day, CTI-CFF Supported the 2023 Indonesia Sea Turtle Symposium

Commemorating the World Sea Turtle Day, CTI-CFF Supported the 2023 Indonesia Sea Turtle Symposium

The Directorate of Marine Conservation and Biodiversity, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, in collaboration with WWF Indonesia and Taka Indonesia Foundation and supported by the CTI-CFF, organized the “2023 Indonesia Sea Turtle Symposium and The Greater Coral Triangle Region” (June 14-15) in Jakarta. The symposium was attended by 69 oral presenters and 14 poster presenters.

Sea turtles face grave threats within the Coral Triangle region, making them the most vulnerable marine species. Their survival is jeopardized by factors such as poaching, habitat loss, and being unintentionally caught in fishing gear as bycatch. Given their migratory nature, ensuring the continued existence of sea turtles needs multilateral partnership and transboundary commitments.

Dr. Mohd. Kushairi Bin Mohd. Rajuddin Executive Director of CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat in his opening remarks delivered by Mr. Michael Tampongangoy, said, “Through our collaborative efforts, we strive to strengthen the protection of sea turtles by addressing the multifaceted challenges they face. Under the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) 2.0, the CTI-CFF has identified key actions and strategies to mitigate the various threats faced by sea turtles and promote their long-term survival. These actions encompass a wide range of initiatives, including habitat conservation and restoration, sustainable fisheries management, strengthening legislation and enforcement, community engagement and awareness, and research and monitoring.”

Through this Sea Turtle Symposium, various stakeholders, including academics and technical management units, are working to integrate locally scattered scientific data to evaluate the progress of turtle management and population status in the coral triangle region over the past 20 years. This effort is expected to enhance the effectiveness of national-scale turtle management and conservation using the E-PANJI (Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Management of Protected and/or Endangered Fish Species) standard guidelines.

Some interesting topics in the symposium are the dissemination of the National Action Plan for Turtle Conservation in Indonesia 2022-2024, Technical Guidance for Handling Bycatch and Stranding Turtles, a Workshop on the 20-Year Development of Turtle Conservation in Indonesia and the Region, and a meeting of the ShellBank and Asia-Pacific Sea Turtle Genetics Working Group.

Following the symposium, an in-person meeting was conducted for the Threatened Species Working Group . The meeting was focused on completion of the 2023 workplan in accordance with SOM-17 recommendation, as well as to share knowledge among CT6 countries through discussion on current issues, lessons learned, and future projections of sea turtle conservation in the region.