Improving marine turtle conservation in Myanmar

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Myanmar is host to five species of marine turtle: the hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata, green Chelonia mydas, leatherback Dermochelys coriacea, loggerhead Caretta caretta and olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea. Extensive surveys in Myanmar's delta region in 1911 indicated nesting populations of 3,750 olive ridleys and 5,000 green turtles but despite early attempts to regulate egg harvest (F.D. Maxwell, 1911, unpubl. data), these populations are in extreme decline (Ko Myint et al., 2017, 37th International Sea Turtle Symposium), with nesting females now counted in the tens at former strongholds. The causes of this decline are many, including unregulated harvesting of eggs and bycatch by trawlers near nesting sites. The Department of Fisheries has attempted to alleviate this crisis by establishing hatcheries and supporting volunteers to protect nests. In October 2016 a workshop on marine turtles was held in Yangon with participants from the government, universities and NGOs. This meeting resulted in the development of a...