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.

Access the current Site Information Template (version March 2024) here.

 

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. 

A Working Group established by the 8th Meeting of Signatory States revised the criteria, which were approved by Signatory States through a correspondence process in March 2024. The resulting criteria can be accessed here.

 

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

E-MAIL

France

Jérôme BOURJEA

IFREMER

[email protected]

France

Sophie MARINESQUE

Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF)

[email protected]

France

Clément QUETEL

Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF)

[email protected]

Iran

Asghar MOBARAKI

Department of Environment

[email protected]

Philippines**

Josie DE LEON

Biodiversity Management Bureau

[email protected]

Seychelles

Alain DE COMARMOND

Environment Department

[email protected]

Seychelles

Rowana WALTON

Seychelles Islands Foundation

[email protected]

South Africa

Ronel NEL

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

[email protected]

Tanzania

Lindsey WEST

SeaSense

[email protected]

U.A.E.

Obaid ALSHAMSI

Ministry of Environment 
and Water

[email protected]

U.A.E.

Himansu Sekhar DAS

Environment Agency – 
Abu Dhabi

[email protected]

U.A.E.

Ahmed AL ALI

Environment and Protected Areas Authority

[email protected]

U.A.E.

Marina ANTONOPOULOU

Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF

[email protected]

n/a

Heidrun FRISCH-NWAKANMA

CMS/IOSEA Secretariat

[email protected]

 ** Pending official confirmation from BMB-Phillippines