Published: March 24, 2006
"Year of the Turtle" Seeks To Raise Conservation Awareness
2006 campaign emphasizes importance of marine turtles and their ecosystems
In an effort to create greater worldwide awareness of the importance of marine turtles and their ecosystems, 2006 has been designated the "Year of the Turtle," according to a State Department news release.
The United States and other states that have signed the memorandum of understanding on the conservation and management of marine turtles and their habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA MOU) hope this cooperative effort will help to conserve and replenish depleted marine turtle populations, the State Department said March 23.
For more information on U.S. policy, see Environment.
Additional information on the "Year of the Turtle" campaign and the full text of the IOSEA memorandum of understanding is available on the IOSEA Web site.
Following is the text of the news release:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 23, 2006
Sea Turtle Conservation: Year of the Turtle
The year 2006 has been designated the "Year of the Turtle" for the Indian Ocean and South East Asia region. The United States joined other Signatory States of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA MOU) to kick off the "Year of the Turtle" campaign at the MOU's Fourth Signatory States Meeting, hosted in Muscat, Oman March 11-14, 2006.
The Year of the Turtle campaign aims to raise awareness about the role and importance of marine turtles in ocean and coastal ecosystems; the numerous natural and man-made threats to these species, many of which are threatened or endangered; and the ways in which individuals, communities, and governments can work together on a range of conservation and recovery activities.
The United States helped to negotiate the IOSEA MOU and is a Signatory State, as well as a "range state" for some species of marine turtles that nest in South East Asia and migrate across the Pacific to areas off the west coast of California. International conservation of marine turtles, as part of an ecosystem approach to oceans conservation and management, is a high priority for the United States.
The Department of State works alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service in representing the United States to the IOSEA MOU. More information on the "Year of the Turtle" campaign and the IOSEA MOU is available at www.ioseaturtles.org/yot2006/.
Source: U.S. Department of State
Search News
Daily News
