Bonn, 26 September 2011 - The Secretariat welcomes the news that Malaysia has joined the Indian Ocean – South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding, making it the instrument’s 33rd Signatory State. The Honourable Dato’ Ahamad Sabki bin Mahmood, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, signed the agreement on 19 September 2011. It can be said that Malaysia is the birthplace of this particular Memorandum of Understanding, because the text of the IOSEA agreement was negotiated and concluded in July 2000 in Kuantan.

Deputy Executive Secretary Bert Lenten said “I am delighted that Malaysia has joined the CMS Family by signing IOSEA and I hope to be able to welcome Malaysia as a Party to CMS in the near future, because it is a Range State to many other migratory animals including numerous species of birds.”

[Read the full story on the IOSEA MOU website]