This is the first issue of a new online series on the biggest threats to sea turtles by State of the World's Sea Turtles (SWOT). This issue has been written by Dr. Nick Pilcher, Marine Research Foundation.

A short film titled "You, come home when I am big" depicting the hazardous first moments in the lives of turtle hatchlings has been produced to coincide with the CMS COP13. The film was made by Ajit Samal who is a celebrated fine art painter has been making wildilfe films and documentaries for over 20 years. Based at Gujarat, he has contributed many productions concerning the conservation of species including the White-backed Vulture, the Asiatic Lion, the Asiatic Wild Ass, the Sarus Crane, Olive Ridley Turtles and the Whale Shark, as well as the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary and Ramsar site and hte vuklture poisoning crisis.

Da Nang/Viet Nam, 23 October 2019– The listing of Con Dao National Park, Viet Nam, in the IOSEA Network of Sites, gives a further boost to the protection of marine turtles.

During the 8th Meeting of the Signatories (MOS8) to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU), the proposal to include Con Dao National Park, Viet Nam into the IOSEA Network of Sites of Importance was officially accepted.

Bonn, March 2019 – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently launched a three-year National Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Turtles (2019-2021).