The second meeting of Signatory States to the Indian Ocean – South-East Asian (IOSEA) Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took place from 16-19 March 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Delegates from 25 countries of the region, as well as representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting. Concluded under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU was further signed by Oman and Jordan during the meeting, bringing the number of IOSEA Signatory States to 18.
Among the significant outcomes of the meeting was the agreement to organize a major awareness campaign in 2006, including a region-wide “Year of the Turtle” campaign, aimed at drawing attention to the dramatic declines in turtle populations and to the complex social and economic issues that need to be tackled. Other highlights include the support for the establishment of a network of important sites for marine turtles under the umbrella of the Memorandum, and an assessment of progress on the basis of reports provided by Signatory States. Several web-based tools aimed at facilitating information exchange, decision making and monitoring implementation progress available were also introduced, including an electronic library, a projects database and the Marine Turtle Interactive Mapping System.
The meeting noted progress made in resolving complex social issues that contribute to the decline of marine turtles in two conservation hotspots – Bali, Indonesia and Orissa, India. The IOSEA Advisory Committee was requested to examine in more depth the issue of traditional and cultural use of marine turtles within the context of conservation actions.
The Signatory States decided to interpret the geographic scope of the IOSEA MoU to recognize that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea ought to be included in the list of countries with a direct interest in the MoU. It was further agreed that the Secretariat should undertake a preliminary examination of the feasibility and desirability of extending the coverage of the IOSEA MoU to embrace interested countries in the Pacific. More information is available at the website of the MoU at: http://www.ioseaturtles.org/ioseaSS2_more.html. The meeting’s final press release is available at: http://www.ioseaturtles.org/word/PressRelease-Word190304.doc