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Memorandum
of Understanding concerning Conservation Measures for Marine Turtles
of the Atlantic Coast of Africa |
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Link
to text of agreement
Status of agreement
The Memorandum of Understanding
Concerning Conservation Measures for Marine Turtles of the Atlantic Coast of
Africa was adopted on 29 May 1999 by 25 States: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Côte
d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania,
Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Portugal (Azores and Madeira), Sao Tome and Principe,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain (Canary Islands) and Togo. It was the first
MOU to be adopted for the protection of marine
turtles under the auspices of the
Convention on Migratory Species,
although a further MOU was adopted for the
Indian Ocean and South East Asian region in 2000. The MOU sets out a number
of very broad and general commitments, including:
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endeavouring to put in place measures for the
conservation and strict protection of marine turtles at all stages of their
life cycle; |
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reviewing and revising national legislation and
ratifying or acceding to relevant international agreements; and
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facilitating the expeditious exchange of
scientific, technical and legal information needed to coordinate conservation
measures. |
The detailed substance of the MOU, however,
appears in a Conservation Plan,
annexed to the MOU, which signatories are to implement, subject to availability of
necessary resources. The Conservation Plan, which was finalized at the first
meeting of signatories in May 2002, includes measures such as protection
measures for beaches used by marine turtles for nesting and measures to reduce
the taking of marine turtles, particularly in areas used for foraging. The
Conservation Plan also provides for the identification of key habitats for
nesting and foraging; for population monitoring and research; and the eventual
preparation of national marine turtle action plans that take into account the
needs of local human populations. Also at the first meeting of the the
signatories, the
Nairobi Declaration
was adopted which provides a
platform for further concerted implementation of the MOU. Inter alia, the
Declaration draws attention to the problem of marine turtle bycatch in
industrial fishing operations and emphasizes the importance of involving
resident communities in the development and implementation of conservation
activities.
As a Memorandum of Understanding (and having
regard to the instrument as a whole and its specific terms), the instrument is
not intended to create legally binding obligations on its signatories, although
the instrument is formally an agreement under Article IV(4) of the
Convention on Migratory Species.
The Memorandum came into effect on 1 July 1999 for all Range States that signed
it and remains open for signature indefinitely (becoming effective for all
future signatory States on the first day of the first month following the date
on which the MOU is signed). The Memorandum is to remain in effect indefinitely
subject to the right of any signatory to terminate its participation by
providing one year's written notice to all of the other signatories.
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Further information and references |
- Internet sources
Convention on
Migratory Species Secretariat
- Related instruments
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