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Celebrating 25 Years of Collaboration for the Conservation of Marine Turtles

For 25 years, the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU has united governments, experts, communities and partners to conserve marine turtles and their habitats. This anniversary celebrates that shared progress and renews the call for regional cooperation.

Bonn, 1 September 2026 – Today, on 1 September 2026, 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) marks 25 years since entering into force. The MOU is one the regional and species-focused intergovernmental agreements developed under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Now bringing together 36 Signatory States, it provides a regional framework for conserving marine turtles and the habitats on which they depend.

Since 2001, the MOU has connected governments, scientists, conservation practitioners, communities and organizations across the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia. Its central principle remains clear: migratory marine turtles can be conserved effectively only through cooperation across borders and sectors.

A Framework for Regional Cooperation

Guided by its Conservation and Management Plan, the MOU helps Signatory States and partners exchange knowledge, coordinate activities and pursue common goals: reducing threats, protecting habitats, improving science, engaging communities and strengthening implementation.

Marine turtles are vital to the health and resilience of the oceans. Through their feeding and migrations, they help maintain productive seagrass beds, support balanced coral reef communities, regulate parts of the marine food web and transport nutrients between the sea and coastal ecosystems. Protecting marine turtles therefore brings wider benefits for biodiversity, fisheries, coastal communities and the many species that depend on healthy marine habitats.

Turning Commitment into Action

Over 25 years, the MOU has enabled joint action on challenges no country can address alone, supporting regional dialogue, technical exchange and coordinated responses.

Meetings of Signatory States set priorities and review progress; the Advisory Committee provides scientific, technical and policy advice; and the Secretariat, based within the CMS Family in Bonn, facilitates coordination and information exchange. Governments and their partners translate regional commitments into action nationally and locally.

Two Marine Turtle Task Forces are important vehicles for this work. The Western Indian Ocean Marine Turtle Task Force, established in 2007 as a partnership between the MOU and the Nairobi Convention, promotes implementation of the Conservation and Management Plan and provides an inclusive forum for reviewing progress and coordinating regional priorities. The Northern Indian Ocean Marine Turtle Task Force, established in 2015, brings together governmental, scientific and non-governmental expertise to strengthen subregional cooperation, develop joint priorities and support practical conservation action.

Some of the Key Achievements

  • Hawksbill Turtle Single Species Action Plan: A regional framework addressing unsustainable use and trade of hawksbill turtles in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, co-developed with CMS and adopted by IOSEA Signatory States in 2024.
  • Flipper Tag Series Database: An initiative that ensures the origins of tagged turtles can be easily identified across the region.
  • IOSEA Site Network: Established under the MOU to promote the long-term conservation of sites important to marine turtles and their habitats, the network now includes 15 accepted sites.
  • Green turtle recovery: After four decades classified as Endangered, the green turtle was reclassified in 2025 by IUCN as Least Concern—the first endangered marine turtle to move into a non-threatened category. This major recovery is the result of sustained action by many governments, communities, researchers and conservation organizations. The IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU can share in this achievement through its contribution to regional cooperation and coordinated conservation across much of the species’ range, while recognizing that some regional populations remain threatened.

Interactive map of the 15 IOSEA Sites Network

Celebrating a Milestone, Continuing the Journey

This anniversary offers an opportunity to recognize the governments, researchers, conservation organizations, communities, donors and individuals whose sustained commitment has transformed the MOU from a regional agreement into an active platform for cooperation. 

Yet this anniversary is not a finish line. Despite important achievements, the road ahead remains long and difficult. Full recovery of the six marine turtle species found in the IOSEA region will require sustained action against fisheries bycatch, habitat loss and degradation, illegal and unsustainable take, pollution, coastal development and climate change. Because marine turtles migrate across national borders and depend on habitats in many jurisdictions and beyond, no country or organization can secure their future alone. Continued international cooperation among governments, scientists, conservation organizations, local and Indigenous communities, fishers, the private sector and other stakeholders will be essential to align priorities, share knowledge and resources, and turn regional commitments into effective action. These efforts to implement the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU also contribute to wider global goals, including the Samarkand Strategic Plan for Migratory Species, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The MOU’s enduring vision remains healthy marine turtle populations, resilient habitats and effective stewardship across the region.

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The accompanying infographic traces key milestones, partnerships and achievements from the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU’s 25-year journey, illustrating how a shared vision has helped translate international commitments into practical conservation action across the region.