16 December 2014: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) convened a workshop to develop a national plan for the conservation of sea turtles. Participants discussed threats facing turtles and suggested the Indian Ocean South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding (IOSEA Marine Turtle M0U) as a future platform for regional cooperation.

The workshop, the first of its kind in Kuwait, brought together representatives of governments from the region working on marine turtle protection, environmental non-governmental organizations from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as scientists from a variety of European universities affiliated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and representatives of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Participants highlighted measures to mitigate threats to turtles, such as regulating visits to beaches, the institution of turtle rescue establishments, turtle excluding devices built into fishing nets, as well as legislation and regulations to contribute to marine turtle conservation. The meeting convened from 9-10 December, 2014. [CMS News]