The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment held a workshop last Thursday to prepare a National Plan of Action for marine turtles and their habitats.

The workshop came as part of the framework to implement the National Strategy for Biodiversity and achieving the national goals related to the development and implementation of programmes for sustainable management of important and vulnerable living marine resources.

The workshop, led by Eng. Mariam Hareb, Assistant Under-Secretary of Environmental Affairs and Nature Conservation Sector at the Ministry, embodied the UAE's commitment to conserving biodiversity and the UAE’s vision 2021 for a sustainable environment for current and future generations.

The national strategy that was presented during the workshop aimed at spreading environmental awareness in society and building national capacities in the field of protecting marine turtles, their habitats and their migration routes. The participants included international counterparts, all local authorities and non-governmental organisations.

The workshop covered the environmental risks pertaining to marine life through the national plan that aims to consolidate the national, regional and international efforts to address the challenges that marine turtles face. Participants also discussed methods of studying and researching the lives of marine turtles as well as mechanisms to exchange information.

This workshop discussed ways to develop key objectives targeting policy, and legal, administrative and technical mechanisms necessary to ensure a sustainable environment.

Eng. Hareb said, "The UAE is characterised by a unique marine environment overlooking the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman and has a unique biodiversity which includes coral reefs, sea grass, mangrove trees and many globally endangered species, such as sea turtles, dugongs, and sharks; which inhabit the UAE’s waters. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a main role in the conservation of endangered species. So far, there are 15 MPAs in the country. Five species of Marine Turtles were recorded in the UAE’s waters."

She added that in an effort to conserve the marine environment and ensure the development of living aquatic resources, the UAE has put in place a legislative framework which regulates the use of living aquatic resources.

"These include the Federal Law No. 23 of 1999 on the exploitation, protection and development of living aquatic resources in the state, Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 on the protection of environment and its development, and Federal Law No. 11 of 2002 on regulating international trade in endangered fauna and flora. In addition, the UAE has joined international conventions and treaties which aim to protect marine species and their habitats, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)," said Eng. Hareb.

The workshop also included an overview of the UAE’s global efforts and its keenness on joining international agreements to protect migratory wildlife and marine species which reflects the leadership’s commitment to protect the international marine ecosystem.

Participants were given a presentation on the Convention of Migratory Species, a United Nations Environmental Programme which was signed in Bonn, Germany.

During the workshop, participants also discussed the various memorandums of understanding that the UAE has signed which support biodiversity, such as protecting dugongs, sharks and raptors that migrate to Africa, Europe and Asia as well as the conservation of marine turtles and their habitats in the Indian Ocean and South Asia.

The five species of marine turtles recorded in the UAE are the Hawksbill turtles, Green turtle, Loggerhead turtle, Leatherback turtle and the Olive Ridley turtle. However, the first three species are the most abundant within the UAE’s waters.

Source: WAM