Dear Colleague,

Organised efforts to protect depleted and endangered sea turtles, and the habitats upon which they depend, date back to the early 1970’s in the Mediterranean Region. Conservation activities, mostly at local or national levels, were greatly enhanced in the 1980's and 1990's through the support of international organisations and initiatives, including the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS), World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Council of Europe, and the European Union.

Despite advances made at all levels in recent years, the design and implementation of conservation programs has been largely orchestrated and undertaken at the national level, with comparatively little international collaboration for regional management. Yet international collaboration is essential to the survival of these highly migratory species. It is clear that despite national efforts, sea turtles cannot be effectively protected in one area of the Mediterranean Sea whilst being killed in adjoining or distant range states.

The Mediterranean Action Plan, which recently (October 1998) convened a Meeting of Experts on the implementation of its Action Plan for the Conservation of Mediterranean Sea Turtles, provides a uniquely useful inter-governmental forum for regional strategic action. What is lacking, however, is a regionally inclusive and largely non-governmental (NGO) network to advocate for sea turtle conservation in the Mediterranean Sea in ways that are not practicable at the inter-governmental level. In the Caribbean Sea, the “Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network” (WIDECAST) has sponsored research, conservation, training and public awareness programs for nearly two decades, clearly demonstrating the value of organised regional collaboration at the NGO level.

The concept of a regional sea turtle network outside (but closely collaborating with) existing intergovernmental initiatives has achieved a large measure of support from various meetings and consultative reports in recent years. We would like to invite you to join us in creating a regional network of sea turtle NGO's, scientists, conservationists, educators, policy-makers and others capable of taking effective, collaborative action to prevent the extinction and promote the recovery of sea turtles in the Mediterranean Region. There are many ways in which such a network could be organised, and many potential tasks to undertake. Your input (by completing the enclosed questionnaire) would be deeply appreciated!

The first public steps in actualising a regional network were taken in Dalyan, Turkey, in June 1999, where more than a dozen sea turtle organisations and experts gathered to discuss various ideas and commit to supporting the idea of regional integration and solidarity [1]. The Minutes of that Meeting are available upon request to Dr. Erdal Ozhan. A “Second Consultation to Facilitate the Creation of a Mediterranean Sea Turtle Conservation Network” will convene in Malta in late October 1999, for the purpose of continuing the dialogue which has successfully begun. The Consultations are sponsored jointly by MEDCOAST and WIDECAST, two well established regional networks with experience in coastal and marine issues.

The questionnaire which follows is not designed for statistical purposes, its aim is simply to give YOU the opportunity to enter this dialogue. Ideally, all of us would gather around a table and participate directly in the discussion, but this is not practicable. Notwithstanding, the views of our colleagues around the region are fundamentally important to the creation of this new entity which we hope will strengthen our individual and collective efforts and significantly enhance the survival prospects of Mediterranean sea turtles. With this in mind, we welcome your insight, your concerns, and your creative ideas!

Please note the new network is still very much in the development stage. No Host or Secretariat has been identified, the structure of the network is open to debate and discussion, and priority issues and tasks are still being formulated. This is the time to be heard! Please make every attempt to complete the entire questionnaire, and to return it to Mr. Atila URAS at DHKD by 15 September 1999:

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful views and comments.
 
 

1. Do you believe that it would be useful to create a regionally inclusive and largely NGO-based “Mediterranean Sea Turtle Conservation Network”?
    

   	Strongly agree
   	Agree
   	Disagree
   	Strongly disagree

   Comments: ___________________________________________________
    
    
    

2. Do you believe that such a network could enhance your work, particularly at local and national levels?
    

   	Definitely yes
   	Probably yes
   	Probably no
   	Definitely no

   Comments: ___________________________________________________
    
    
    
    

3. Would you actively participate in a Mediterranean network for sea turtle conservation?
    

   	Definitely yes
   	Probably yes
   	Probably no
   	Definitely no

   Comments: ___________________________________________________

1. What do you think the main tasks of a Mediterranean network for sea turtle conservation should be?

Note: Please number your choices: 1 = Critically Important, 2 = Important, 3 = Not Important. You may use each ranking (1,2,3) as often as you like, but each task may receive only one ranking.
 

	To facilitate and promote information exchange among sea turtle research and conservation programs in the Mediterranean Region,  including standardization;
	To facilitate and promote collaboration at a Mediterranean scale for sea turtle management and conservation, and to promote compatibility in data collection and reporting;
	To harmonize national programs (including the adoption of best practices) in Mediterranean countries for protecting sea turtles, recovering depleted populations, and safeguarding critical habitat;
	To facilitate and contribute to research on sea turtle biology and conservation at a regional scale, including strengthening the capacity of NGO's to design and implement scientifically sound research and conservation programs (such as through training programs);
	To enhance public awareness of the need for sea turtle conservation, and increase public participation in and support of sea turtle conservation initiatives;
	To promote long-term national and regional conservation planning in order to establish mutual priorities, emphasize best practices, avoid redundancy, and evaluate progress;
	To bolster the fund-raising capacity of Mediterranean sea turtle conservation projects;
	To facilitate and enable a coordinated, regional response to issues of transnational interest, such as incidental catch in international waters, regional tourism policies, international trafficking in sea turtle products, and the implementation of treaties;
	To provide input into inter-governmental organizations (such as SPA RAC/MAP- UNEP) and international NGO's (such as WWF and IUCN) with regard to their policies and programs on sea turtle conservation in the Mediterranean;
	To integrate grassroots and national efforts into national and regional decision-making;
	To collaborate with regional networks in other parts of the world, such as WIDECAST in the Caribbean Sea and SPREP's [South Pacific Regional Environment Programme] regional sea turtle program in the South Pacific, to strengthen the solidarity of conservation efforts in Mediterranean range states;
	Other(s) ___________________________________________________

  
 
 

1. Do you believe that the network would be best served if the host or Secretariat was an existing organisation or individual expert, or if it were a new (and presumably international) NGO established specifically for this task?
    

   	Hosted by an existing organisation or individual expert
   	Hosted by a new NGO
   	Other(s) ___________________________________________________

   
    

1. Please indicate the choice you believe to be the most relevant or useful structure for the new network.

	One or two National Coordinator(s) from each of the Mediterranean country would serve as focal points between the sea turtle conservation community in their country and the international network
	One Member or Representative from each organisation working with sea turtles in the Mediterranean Region would serve as a focal point between the organisation and the international network
	Other(s) ___________________________________________________

1. Are there specific tasks (for example, see Question #4) for which you, your organisation, or your institution might consider taking the lead, or providing significant resources or collaboration?
    

    

   Comments: _____________________________________________________
   ______________________________________________________________
   ______________________________________________________________
   ______________________________________________________________
   ______________________________________________________________
    
    
    

2. Please indicate possible funding sources for the network’s activities.

1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________

1. Please provide us with information on you, your organisation, or your institution.

Kindly return this form to the attention of Mr. Atila URAS at:

Or by E-mail at: <>

Deadline: 15 September 1999 !!