Western Pacific

Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Freshwater Aquatic, Terrestrial and Avian Migratory Species in the Asia and Pacific Region

This study identifies the impacts of plastic pollution on land and freshwater migratory species protected by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The CMS report is the result of a collaboration between CMS and the UN Environment Programme as part of the Japan-funded CounterMEASURE II project to identify sources and pathways of plastic pollution in river systems in Asia.

31 August 2021

Growth Rates of Adult Sea Turtles

Indeterminate growth, i.e. growth that persists throughout life, is common in long-lived reptiles. Because fecundity and body size tend to be correlated in such species, individuals face a life-history trade-off at sexual maturity. Saturation tagging and intensive monitoring at nesting grounds can potentially provide opportunities to accumulate data on individual measurements and reproductive output.

17 September 2018

Incidental Catch of Seabirds and Sea Turtles by Taiwanese Longline Fleets in the Pacific Ocean

To understand the sea turtle and seabird bycatch of Taiwanese tuna longline fleets for conservation purposes, this research analyzed the data collected by onboard observers between 2008 and 2013. In total, data from 149 trips and 24.3 million hooks were analyzed, including 50 albacore large-scale tuna longline vessel (LTLVs) trips, 72 bigeye LTLVs trips, and 27 small-scale tuna longline vessel (STLVs) trips. Seabird bycatch was mostly from the albacore LTLVs.

14 September 2018

Global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles. Scientific reports

The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21st century. However, regional projections do not always match global projections and species with global distributions may exhibit varying regional susceptibility to climate change. Here we show the effect of local climatic conditions on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at four nesting sites encompassing the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. We found a heterogeneous effect of climate.

13 September 2018

Global Distribution of Two Fungal Pathogens Threatening Endangered Sea Turtles

Nascent fungal infections are currently considered as one of the main threats for biodiversity and ecosystem health, and have driven several animal species into critical risk of extinction. Sea turtles are one of the most endangered groups of animals and only seven species have survived to date. Here, we described two pathogenic species, i.e., Fusarium falciforme and Fusarium keratoplasticum, that are globally distributed in major turtle nesting areas for six sea turtle species and that are implicated in low hatch success.

13 September 2018

Genetic diversity and phylogeography of hawksbill turtle in the Persian Gulf

Genetic diversity and phylogeography of Hawksbill sea turtle was studied by using sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA (D-loop and tRNA pro region). 45 dead embryos were collected from the Qeshm (25 samples) and Kish Islands (20 samples) in the Persian Gulf. Analysis of sequence diversity showed over 890 bp of the mtDNA D-loop and tRNA pro region revealed 5 polymorphism sites and 7 haplotypes. Two new haplotypes were submitted on NCBI gene bank as Iran3 with GU997696 accession number and Iran7 with JN627023 accession number.

13 September 2018

Study: Conservation Priorities for Shark and Ray Species included and proposed for inclusion in Annex 1 to the CMS Sharks MOU

The Sharks MOU has defined general objectives for the conservation and management of species and populations listed in Annex 1 of the MOU, which are further detailed in a global Conservation Plan for migratory Sharks (Annex 3 to the MOU).
18 Octobre 2015

Pacific Year of the Dugong

2011 was declared the Pacific Year of the Dugong. With a regional theme “Respect and Protect”, the campaign aimed at increasing protection of dugongs and their habitats by raising awareness, improving knowledge and fostering partnerships for conservation of dugongs and their habitats. Led by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UN Environment Programme/CMS), the campaign aimed to initiate sustainable and long-term dugong protection by fostering community participation in environmental stewardship by improving their economic livelihoods.

16 July 2018

Dugong, Seagrass and Coastal Communities Initiative

The Dugong, Seagrass and Coastal Communities Initiative encompasses complementary activities to support the conservation of dugongs and their seagrass habitats throughout the over 40 Range States.

14 March 2014