Regional Workshop for MTCF-funded projects held in Cambodia

Bonn/Kep, December 2019 - A regional training workshop was organized in Kep, Cambodia (29 October – 2 November 2018) for projects funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Marine Turtle Conservation Fund in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

The aim of this workshop was to better coordinate and build the capacity of MTCF-funded projects in the region. The workshop was jointly organized by Fauna and Flora International – Cambodia and the Fisheries Administration of the Government of Cambodia. The lead trainers at the workshop were Dr. Manjula Tiwari (National Marine Fisheries Service & Ocean Ecology Network, USA) , Dr. Dave Owens (College of Charleston, South Carolina, USA), and Dr. Fitry Pakiding (State University of Papua, Manokwari, Indonesia), however, it was an interactive workshop with the goal of exchanging knowledge and experience among participants.

Prior to the workshop a “needs assessment” questionnaire was distributed to the participants, and responses were used to structure the agenda. The following topics were covered at the workshop: sea turtle biology and ecology; sea turtle identification (species, tracks and nests); nesting beach protocols and techniques; sea turtle tagging (theory and practice); bycatch in artisanal and commercial fisheries; captive rearing; data sharing and management; communities and stakeholder involvement; outreach and awareness; national and regional priorities and trans-boundary collaboration.

The Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 established the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund, which provides financial resources for projects to conserve the nesting habitats, marine turtles in those habitats, and address other threats to the survival of marine turtles outside the US and its territories. One of the priorities of the MTCF is to support the International, regional, and national conservation capacity building. More information on applying for a grant with the MTCF can be found here.

 

Last updated on 16 Octobre 2019