Conservation of marine turtles in Viet Nam

Abstract

Marine turtle numbers have been in dramatic decline in Vietnam for the last fifty years and only a few nesting locations now remain. The highest priority threats are: the illegal domestic and international trade in marine turtles and their products, the significant accidental capture in fishing gear, and the loss of nesting and foraging habitats. There is growing confidence that progress will be made in the coming years as a new national marine turtle conservation action plan has been created to form a framework for national initiatives that address these key threats. These future conservation interventions will complement and build upon activities started in the last ten years. The role of communities in supporting local scale initiatives is vitally important, as is continuing the progress made towards fulfilling the Vietnam government's commitments to the Memorandum of Understanding on the conservation and management of marine turtles in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia (IOSEA MoU).