The Profile of the Month for April takes a closer look at the online IOSEA Site Database, to explore its potential uses and to highlight some areas in need of improvement. Our itinerant programmer, David Jiles, is currently working on some bug fixes which should finally enable Firefox and Internet Explorer users to enjoy the same – hopefully rewarding – browsing experience.
Coincidentally,
the Coordinator was contacted this
month by the Bonn-based secretariat
of the UN Convention
to Combat Desertification,
seeking his advice on the development
of an online reporting system.
It seems that after all these years,
IOSEA is still the only MEA (multilateral
environmental agreement) to have implemented
online reporting with some degree
of success, and the advice offered
was much appreciated.
The
IOSEA Site Network Working Group, chaired
by US Focal Point Alexis Gutierrez
held another
multi-country conference call on 17
March, which spanned the globe, East-West
and North-South, from Washington
to Canberra, and Philippines to South
Africa. Agreement was reached
on the terms of reference of a small
consultancy proposed by the Secretariat
which, among other things, will elaborate
the criteria for the designation of
sites. It was felt that this would
help to crystalise ideas
about the form the network should take.
A short consultancy contract is under preparation,
with results expected to be delivered
for review and comment in May.
The
announcement of an informal IOSEA lunch-time
gathering on 27 April, during the International
Sea Turtle Symposium in Goa, appears
to have been well-received. More than
35 people
have expressed interest in attending
-- a higher number than anticipated,
given that a number of other Indian
Ocean or sub-regional events are planned
around that date. An update will
circulated to registered participants
in the next couple of weeks.
The
Coordinator has had discussions with
counterparts in the 8-country “Bay
of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem"
(BOBLME) project about possible cooperation
on marine turtle work in that
part of the Indian Ocean. This well-funded,
multi-year project is managed (temporarily)
out of the regional FAO office in Bangkok,
by Regional Coordinator Chris O’Brien
and Chief Technical Advisor Rudi Hermes.
It is hoped that a preliminary concept for
joint work can be developed and shared
with interested people attending the
sea turtle symposium in Goa.
Nothing
much new to report this month on the
IOSEA Technical Support / Capacity-Building programme
or on offers to host the next Signatory
State meeting. Inputs are expected
soon from a number of individuals – hopefully
you know who you are! – so that
preparation of these activities
can move ahead in the coming weeks.
This
month, IOSEA Team Assistant, Patcharin
(Gung) Supitchakul has created a
new index for the Flipper Tag
Series, which will make it a little
easier to locate tag series by their
assigned prefixes (which turn
out to have a fair amount of randomness!).
Gung has also continued to update
the Satellite Tracking Metadatabase,
which now includes records of more
than 600 tracked turtles.
Finally, a number of relevant meetings
have been added to the Dates of Interest calender. If you know of any others
that ought to be posted, please drop
us a line.
|
In June of last year, we reported on a short visit to Oman’s Daymaniyat Islands, host to the country’s greatest aggregation of nesting hawksbill turtles (see the 
The Eritrean Navy chose Fenkel 2010, held from 12-14 February, as a national event to promote the conservation of endangered marine species of the Eritrean Red Sea. Models of a giant sea turtle, dugong and sawfish shark were displayed during the magnificent carnival show that coincided with the official opening on 13th February. The aim was to increase understanding and create awareness about marine biodiversity and their conservation needs by relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations. 
A
new phase of a long-running regional
programme to promote marine turtle research
and conservation in South-East
Asia is set to begin, coordinated by
the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development
Center (SEAFDEC). A workshop was held
in Melaka, Malaysia, on 10-11 March
to plan activities under the 2010-2014
project on “Research and Management of
Sea Turtles in Foraging Habitat
in the Southeast Asian Waters”. 
During its ongoing monitoriing program, the CARINAM team found seven Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) being illegally kept at a fish trading house in Rupsha, Khulna. The turtles were waiting to be sold to traders who would slaughter them and sell the meat. The team informed the Forest Department officials and with their support confiscated the marine turtles and released them in the Bay of Bengal. 
