Government Minister to sign turtle conservation Agreement

Deputy Prime Minister, Job Duddley Tausinga will leave the country tomorrow to sign an agreement for the conservation and management of the Western Pacific leatherback turtles in Bali, Indonesia.

The Forestry, Environment and Conservation minister will co-sign the agreement with counterparts from the governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

A statement from the department says this is to conserve marine bio-diversity across the Bismarck Solomon Seas Ecoregion.

The statement says the signing of the agreement between the governments of Solomon Islands, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea is a commitment to work with each government to conserve the Leatherback turtle.

The region stretches from the Vogelkop Peninsula of Papua across the Bismarck archipelagos from Papua New Guinea to Makira in Solomon Islands.

Meanwhile, Mr Tausinga says scientific reports and researches have confirmed that the Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles are amongst the most endangered marine species in the world.

He says thee critical Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles nesting sites and feeding areas remaining in the Western Pacific are located in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

Mr Tausinga says at least four major Western Pacific Leatherback Turtles nesting sites were identified as global priorities for conservation and sustainable management.

He says Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands share the inshore and offshore marine areas of the globally significant Bismark Solomon Seas Ecoregion.

Source: SIBC