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Media Statement
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism
TUESDAY, 06 NOVEMBER 2007:
Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism of South Africa, today signed the Memorandum of
Understanding concerning Conservation Measures for Marine Turtles of
the Atlantic Coast of Africa in the presence of Mr Douglas Hykle,
senior advisor to the Convention on Migratory Species.
The objective of the MoU is to protect, conserve,
replenish and recover marine turtles and their habitats in the
Atlantic Ocean.
South Africa has joined 22 West African countries
that are committed to the conservation of marine turtles. Angola,
Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Congo, Equatorial
Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania,
Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Togo are the current signatories. This means that all
23 African Range States are now on board.
Marine turtles are thought to be numerous along
much of the Atlantic coast of Africa, extending some 14 000km from
Morocco to South Africa including nesting sites, feeding areas, and
migration corridors of importance for six species including the
loggerhead turtle, the olive ridley turtle, the green turtle, the
hawksbill turtle and the leatherback turtle.
The MOU aims to heighten conservation efforts of
the populations of marine turtles frequenting the territorial waters
and beaches of the Atlantic coast of Africa, from the Strait of
Gibraltar to the Cape of Good Hope, including Macronesia which are
seriously threatened.
Five of the world’s seven marine turtle species
occur in the Atlantic ocean and form an important part of the
biodiversity of the coastal and marine ecosystems. Sea turtles are
valued as socio-cultural assets as well as economic and food sources
especially for poor coastal communities. Due to the highly migratory
nature of sea turtles living in many different countries through out
their lives and continued unsustainable use, sea turtles are now
considered endangered or critically endangered in many parts of
their range. The major threats to turtles are due to harvesting of
turtles or eggs, habitat destruction, development and pollution, and
incidental capture in fisheries activities. The Atlantic coast off
Southern Africa is particularly known for the large industrial
fishing with apparent devastating effects to sea turtle
populations.
The MOU acknowledges that if these human-induced
threats are not properly mitigated and managed, that it could lead
to a further decline in marine turtle population numbers.
To view the MOU
go to www.deat.gov.za
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For media interviews and queries
contact:
Carol Moses Mobile: + 27 082 829 3917
Telelphone: (+ 27 21) 402 3566 E-mail: cmo...@deat.gov.za
OR
Roopa Singh Mobile: +27 082 225 3076
Telelphone: (+27 12) 310 3566 E-mail: rsi...@deat.gov.za
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