Executive Summary:

Initiating activities that directly address the problems and challenges for dugong and turtle conservation in the Pacific Islands, and identifying regional priorities and pilot projects to further dugong and marine turtle conservation in dugong Pacific Island Range States (New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu).

Background:

The project was the result of discussions between the CMS Dugong MOU and SPREP in November 2009 about facilitating improved engagement of SPREP dugong Range States with the CMS Dugong MOU. As the dugong Range States also have regionally important populations of marine turtles, the project leveraged existing funding from a voluntary contribution by Australia in 2008 to progress marine conservation in the Pacific Island and new funding provided by the UNEP/CMS office – Abu Dhabi.

The project aimed to initiate activities that directly address problems and challenges for dugong and turtle conservation in the Pacific Islands, and to identify regional priorities and pilot projects to further dugong and marine turtle conservation in Pacific Range States.