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At the 24th meeting of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of FAO, to which this issue of the IWMC Newsletter is partly devoted, the delegation of the United States drew the attention to the problem of sea turtle mortality due to incidental catch and noted the need for sharing information and cooperative research. Several delegations, in particular those of Japan, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia, pointed out that incidental catch was not the only or even the most important source of threat to sea turtles and stressed that their sustainable use should be viewed within a more comprehensive context. Although all delegations were speaking with rather similar points of view on other key issues part of the agenda, the split between the positions of COFI Members appeared very clearly regarding sea turtles. This was not a real surprise. In this context, the rather vehement intervention of the observer from IUCN The World Conservation Union appeared bizarre, at least to some participants, (including people directly associated with the organization), considering the IUCN mission to "ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable". Under the pretext that IUCN has adopted a resolution at its Congress in Amman last year about incidental catch by longline fisheries, the IUCN observer supported only the proposal from the United States, saying that action should be restricted for the time being. This narrow conception of the conservation of marine species was not necessarily a surprise for those aware of the diversity of views, within IUCN, on the sustainable use of different taxa, but remained of serious concern for those who believe that the IUCN position on sea turtles is counterproductive. Dear Elvira, the fight which was yours is by far not yet finished. Finally, there was no general agreement on the involvement of FAO regarding
the conservation and management of sea turtles. Some delegations underlined the
global character of the issue and encouraged the Organization to play a leading
role. Other Members stressed that other organizations had a strong mandate in
this area and that FAO’s involvement should not distract from its plans and
priorities. |
