Site Information Template
A template has been developed to provide the basis for a formal proposal to nominate a site for inclusion in the IOSEA Marine Turtle Site Network. Site nominations must come from governments, to assure the highest level of recognition within a country, but proposals can be drafted by other interested parties. In all cases, the completed Information Sheet is intended to be submitted by the national IOSEA Focal Point to the IOSEA Secretariat.
As the contents serve as the main basis for evaluation of site nominations, responses should be as comprehensive as possible. Throughout the Site Information template, cross references are made to the specific Evaluation Criteria that relate to the information requested in the template. Consequently, drafters of the site nomination can see exactly how the information they provide will be assessed and can judge for themselves whether or not their submission is complete and sufficiently detailed.
The Secretariat has translated the Site Information Template into French* (and it is hoped that an Arabic translation will follow soon), to make it easier for interested parties to prepare a submission in their native language. However, each submission to the Secretariat must still be accompanied by a full translation into English so that it can be reviewed by the Advisory Committee.
Click to download the Site Information Template in English or French (version 19/07/13).
* The Secretariat wishes to thank Françoise Claro, Groupe Tortues Marines France, for having carefully reviewed and edited the French translation.
Evaluation Criteria
Considerable effort was put into to developing and refining criteria that will be used by the Advisory Committee to: (i) evaluate Signatory State nominations of new sites; (ii) assess the rationale for continued inclusion of existing sites; and (iii) conduct gap analyses for the overall network to identify priorities for inclusion of additional sites.
There are 18 evaluation criteria, divided into four categories: Ecological and Biological, Governance, Socio-economic and Political, and Network-wide Ecological. A weighting scheme is used to differentiate the relative importance of the various criteria. The maximum value assigned to each criterion determines its relative importance in the overall rating. Points are awarded against each criterion, up to its maximum value.
For a site to be recommended for inclusion in the IOSEA Site Network, it must obtain a minimum score against each of the four categories, as well as a minimum total score. The site must also achieve a minimum total score of 75 across all of the criteria.
Guidance is provided to assist evaluators and proponents in their respective tasks. While the evaluation of proposals should strive to be objective, they will inevitably include a measure of subjectivity. In cases where quantitative data or even expert opinions are not available, evaluators will try to reach consensus on a score that best reflects the actual situation. Where uncertainty or lack of data is an important issue for a particular site, evaluators might recommend that priority be given to future funding/research to fill the data gap.
Once the Evaluation Criteria have been put into use, shortcomings in their formulation will certainly become apparent, and it is anticipated that the criteria will need to be kept under regular review so that improvements can be suggested and incorporated. The English version presented here was last revised on 19 July 2013; and a French translation was added on 31 July 2013.
Click to download the Evaluation Criteria document in English or French.
Discussion Group
A Discussion Group was formed in December 2015 for the purpose of exchanging ideas on operationalising the IOSEA Marine Turtle Site Network. More than a dozen members have now been identified for eight of the 10 participating sites. One of the members – Clément Quétel, working in France’s Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF) – has described the Group’s purpose very well:
“This type of initiative is indeed an effective tool to facilitate communication within the network. This group will encourage experience-sharing and regional cooperation, increase the coherence of actions in the Indian Ocean for marine turtles, and put in touch the various organisations involved in the conservation of these species. These exchanges will be also an opportunity to identify more easily the financing sources, institutional or by sponsorship.”
Early discussions within the Group have focused on: the need for official certification for each of the Network Sites, exchanging ideas about the design elements that ought to be incorporated into physical sign boards to be produced for each site, and summarising the key attributes of each site for the purpose of identifying common themes and opportunities for collaboration.
Ideas have also been exchanged about the elements that ought to be featured on outdoor sign boards designed for public viewing at Network Sites, including: target messages; factual information in appropriate languages, together with images and maps; instructions aimed at influencing visitor behaviour, in the form of "Do and Don'ts"; and contact details for responsible authorities, logos etc.
Click to read the Profile of the Month for May 2016: Towards operationalising the IOSEA Marine Turtle Site Network.
IOSEA Marine Turtle Site Network - Discussion Group Membership
|
COUNTRY |
MEMBER |
ORGANISATION |
|
|
France |
Jérôme BOURJEA |
IFREMER |
|
|
France |
Sophie MARINESQUE |
Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF) |
|
|
France |
Clément QUETEL |
Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF) |
|
|
Iran |
Asghar MOBARAKI |
Department of Environment |
|
|
Philippines** |
Josie DE LEON |
Biodiversity Management Bureau |
|
|
Seychelles |
Alain DE COMARMOND |
Environment Department |
|
|
Seychelles |
Rowana WALTON |
Seychelles Islands Foundation |
|
|
South Africa |
Ronel NEL |
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
|
|
Tanzania |
Lindsey WEST |
SeaSense |
|
|
U.A.E. |
Obaid ALSHAMSI |
Ministry of Environment |
|
|
U.A.E. |
Himansu Sekhar DAS |
Environment Agency – |
|
|
U.A.E. |
Ahmed AL ALI |
Environment and Protected Areas Authority |
|
|
U.A.E. |
Marina ANTONOPOULOU |
Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF |
|
|
n/a |
Heidrun FRISCH-NWAKANMA |
CMS/IOSEA Secretariat |
** Pending official confirmation from BMB-Phillippines