seaturtle.org : MTN : ARCHIVES : Sign In

The Guidelines of Conf. 9.20 are the result of two years of work by the CITES Animals Committee and have evolved through numerous drafts, comments, and revisions. After some debate on the floor during COP 9, which focused on the need for regional management of Marine Turtle Newsletter, 1995, No. 69 - ¯populations proposed for ranching, a working group of 33 delegates and biologists, including 12 MTSG [IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group] members, was convened. The resulting guidelines are acceptable to both delegates from potential proponent countries such as Cuba and biologists. The sea turtle ranching guidelines of Conf. 9.20 are divided into five parts: Resource Management; Trade Controls; the Ranching Operation; Summary Statement describing benefits to the [sea turtle] population; and Reporting. A summary of Resource Management and Trade Control follows.

Resource Management includes requirements for detailed biological information, national management, and regional management. In particular, a prerequisite for approval of a ranching proposal is the effective implementation of a national management plan, which should include an annual monitoring program, habitat protection, harvest regulation, protection of the population, and rules for stopping harvests. Regional Management involves the range states "sharing the majority of the population", with the proponent Party taking the lead in the development and effective implementation of a regional management "protocol" to improve the conservation of the population. The Guidelines recommend that regional management should include appraisal of the conservation status of the population throughout its range, regular monitoring, protection of important habitat, controls to prevent stimulation of trade from wild turtles, and, where necessary, regulating harvest and domestic sale of sea turtle products.

Although ranches utilize eggs and hatchlings, relatively the most expendable part of the population if sustainably used, ranches have the potential to place entire populations of wild turtles at risk by opening trade. For example, the ability to differentiate the products of wild and captive turtles is critical to trade control. Conf. 9.20 addresses trade controls in exporting and importing countries. The Guidelines require importing countries to provide documentation on their domestic laws to control sea turtle trade. A proponent country must agree to document its domestic laws and means of enforcement to control the capture and disposition of wild turtles and their products. Exports from ranches may be restricted to specific amounts, and existing stockpiles must be registered and marked. In describing marking and tracking procedures for ranched products, proponents must ensure ranched products are easily identifiable, including information in marking, packaging, transport, shipping routes, security, and inventory control. Source: IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group The MTSG Bulletin No. 2, November 1994. Editor's Note: (1) The original text read "Conference Resolution 9.25". Interim designation for the newly adopted sea turtle ranching guidelines was "Com 9.25 Rev."; however, their final designation is "Conf. 9.20". We have modified the text accordingly.