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Marine Turtle Newsletter 82:19-20, © 1998

Marine Turtle Newsletter-Online

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Website for the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles

The only international treaty dedicated specifically to the conservation of sea turtles and their habitats began its gestation in 1994, an initiative of the Government of Mexico (Donnelly 1995; 1996). After four inter-governmental meetings (the first two in Mexico, one in Venezuela, and the last one in Brazil) the delegations agreed on a final text. During the development, specialists in sea turtle biology and conservation - especially those in Latin America - became actively involved in the negotiations (Frazier 1997). Since then, at different meetings, and in diverse fora, sea turtle specialists have repeatedly resolved to promote the Inter-American Convention. To comply with this, a website has been created, dedicated specifically to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles <https://seaturtle.org/iac/>. Hosted at <https://seaturtle.org/>, where the Marine Turtle Newsletter is on-line (Coyne 1998), the site has been designed to reflect the international spirit of the Inter-American Convention.

The home page features a globe constructed from the Convention title, in the four official languages: Castellano (Spanish), English, Français and Português. On selecting a language, the visitor is directed to a page of Introductory Remarks in which links provide supplemental information on the development of the treaty, international resolutions supporting it, other international instruments on which it is based, and additional related information. From this introductory page, the visitor can select other pages, including the Official Text of the Convention, a page to sign on and support the Convention, a list of signatures supporting the Convention, related links and a page for downloading the official Treaty text in any of three different electronic formats. Rounding out the site are summary pages, where all four languages are once again together: message board, information about the site, security information and credits. The message board provides a mechanism for visitors to post questions, up-dates and other comments about the Convention, in whatever language they choose, and to respond or comment on previously posted comments on the message board. Every effort has been made to make all parts of the site fully functional in all four official languages, including detailed instructions and error messages. Several steps have been taken to protect the privacy of visitors, especially people who sign on to support the Convention. Many people helped with translations and information gathering, and Ambassador Jean François Pulvenis of the Ministerio de Fronteras Terrestres y Marítimas, Caracas, Venezuela (the Depositary country for this treaty) provided the final electronic files of the official text of the Convention. As with any electronic site, this one will evolve, depending on the needs and use of the people who visit it. We invite you to visit the site and to sign on in support of the Treaty; also, please make use of the message board to keep up to date, and to share information on the Convention with the rest of the sea turtle community. Please, tell your friends and colleagues about the site, to make sure that as many people as possible learn about this very important international treaty for the conservation of sea turtles. If you have suggestions for improving the site, or corrections in any of the language texts, please send them to the e-mail address: iac@seaturtle.org so that we can make this site as good as possible, to serve the international community of sea turtle biologists and conservationists.

COYNE, M. 1998. Guest Editorial: Sea turtles on the Internet. Marine Turtle Newsletter 81: 1-4.

DONNELLY, M. 1995. Western Hemisphere sea turtle treaty negotiations. Marine Turtle Newsletter 70: 7-9.

DONNELLY, M. 1996. The evolution of the Western Hemisphere sea turtle treaty. Marine Turtle Newsletter 73: 18-20.

FRAZIER, J. 1997. Guest Editorial: Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles. Marine Turtle Newsletter 78: 7-13.


IUCN Seeks Information on Sea Turtle Conservation in the Indian Ocean

IUCN-The World Conservation Union, is beginning a preliminary analysis of the status of marine sea turtle conservation in the Indian Ocean. In conjunction with our regional and country offices, member organisations, Marine Turtle Specialist Group and others, we wish to develop a comprehensive picture of the current status of marine turtle conservation in the region. We would be grateful for any information you may have on current sea turtle conservation projects, migration routes, feeding and nesting grounds, as well as current threats to specific species. Thank you for your assistance. Timothy Bagley, IUCN - Washington Office, 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 502, Washington, DC 20036, USA. Tel: +1 202 797 5454, Fax: +1 202 797 5461, E-mail: tbagley@iucnus.org, Internet: <http://www.iucnus.org/>.


4th Annual International Wildlife
Law Conference

The 4th Annual International Wildlife Law Conference will take place on March 20, 1999 at American University's School of Law. The conference focuses on the effectiveness of wildlife treaties and national legislation in protecting endangered species of fauna and flora. To receive a copy of the conference program, contact Wil Burns, Managing Editor, Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy, 1563 Solano Ave., Suite 193, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA. E-mail: JIWLP@earthling.net


Announcement of a Second Symposium on the Status and Conservation of Florida Turtles.

A Second Symposium on the Status and Conservation of Florida Turtles will be held at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, on 8-11 October 1999.

Co-sponsored by Eckerd College, the Gopher Tortoise Council, and the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust, this symposium will address the problems faced by Florida turtle species, as well as conservation strategies and specific recovery solutions.

Paper session topics include populations, habitat, disease, commercial trade, and conservation measures. In addition to a poster session and field trips, workshops on the identification of emydid turtles, field methods, and environmental education are scheduled.
A volume describing the conservation biology of Florida turtles at the end of the 20th century is planned. We anticipate that it will include 25, mostly multi-authored, accounts. Anyone wishing to contribute to one or more species accounts is asked to contact Peter Meylan (E-mail: meylanpa@eckerd.edu).

For more information about the symposium, contact the Gopher Tortoise Council, c/o George L. Heinrich, 1223 Alhambra Way S., St. Petersburg, FL 33705-4620, USA (E-mail: highpine@gte.net).


Charles Caillouet Retires from NMFS

In June 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the retirement of Dr. Charles W. Caillouet, Jr., Supervisory Fishery Biologist (Research) and Chief of the Protected Species Branch of the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center Laboratory in Galveston, Texas, USA.

Caillouet's research spanned a variety of topics including: stress physiology in fishes, marine recreational and commercial fisheries statistics, reproduction, mariculture and population dynamics of commercial shrimp, environmental impacts of energy development and production in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico, and sea turtle mariculture and population dynamics. From 1981 to 1993 he headed the Kemp's Ridley Head Start experiment. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific papers and technical reports, most recently completing a chapter on sea turtle culture for The Encyclopedia of Aquaculture to be published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. in 1999. He was also editor (with Dr. André M. Landry) of the Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Biology, Conservation and Management (published by Texas A & M University, Sea Grant Program, 1989).

Dr. Caillouet has served for more than a decade on the Kemp's Ridley Working Group consisting of government representatives from Mexico and the US. Other special assignments included: participation on an International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) specialist group which, in 1988, drafted guidelines to be used by the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in reviewing and evaluating sea turtle ranching proposals; preparation of an in-depth review of the Shallow Water Shrimp Fishery for the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in 1977; serving on the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Management Planning Task Force which developed the Regional Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico in 1977; and on NMFS' Extended Jurisdiction Planning Staff which prepared Preliminary Fishery Management Plans in 1976. In 1995, Caillouet was appointed to NMFS' Turtle Expert Working Group which recently developed and published status of stock assessments for Kemp's ridley and loggerhead sea turtles. He and his staff received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Bronze Award for outstanding achievements in sea turtle research in 1995.


Draft Recovery Plan for
Marine Turtles in Australia

The Biodiversity Group of Environment Australia has released a "Draft Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles", for public comment. This plan has been prepared in consultation with government agencies, non-governmental organisations, industry, scientists and community representatives. Comments on the Recovery Plan are sought from interested individuals and groups.
The release of this draft plan marks the beginning of a three month public comment period. At the end of this period the plan will be revised, taking into consideration any comments received. A report on the comments and their consideration will also be prepared and will be sent with the revised plan to the Minister for approval.

An electronic copy of the draft recovery plan may be viewed on the Internet at: <http://www.biodiversity.environment.gov.au/plants/threaten/>. A hard copy of the recovery plan may be obtained from the Public Relations and Information Section, Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia, GPO Box 636, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia or by telephone (+61 2 6250 0713). Any additional information may be obtained by telephone (+61 2 6250 0394) or facsimile (+61 2 6250 0314).

Comments should be forwarded to Mark Armstrong, Senior Project Officer, Wildlife Management, GPO Box 636, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia (Email: Mark.Armstrong@ea.gov.au) All electronic comments will be acknowledged on receipt.