Action Plan for Sea Turtle Conservation in Cambodia 2016-2026.

Sea turtles are flagship species for Cambodia’s coastal environment, however, these species are under sever threat of extinction. Key threats facing sea turtles include incidental capture of sea turtles from fishing, habitat degradation, pollution and coastal development. The goal for this Action Plan is: By 2026, sea turtles and their habitat are protected or conserved, providing healthy ecosystems and economic prosperity for future generations of Cambodia. The complementary objectives are: 1. Reduce anthropogenic threats that cause mortality of sea turtles and their eggs; 2. Protect and rehabilitate sea turtle foraging and nesting grounds; 3. Strengthen research and monitoring of turtle populations, foraging and nesting habitats and by-catch reduction methods; 4. Increase public awareness of the threats to sea turtles and their habitats, and enhance public participation in conservation activities; and 5. Strengthen national and trans-boundary collaboration, and regional and international information sharing on sea turtles.
The Action Plan outlines the priority actions needed to achieve these objectives, including: Identify and document anthropogenic threats to sea turtles; Regulate and where appropriate combat (illegal) fishing practices threatening sea turtles; Reduce sea turtle by-catch by switching to turtle-friendly fishing gears; Identify areas of critical habitat such as migratory corridors, nesting beaches, internesting and feeding areas and finding the necessary measures to protect and conserve that area; Explore legislative options for the protection of key nesting and foraging sites; Demarcation and protection of conservation zones, sanctuaries and fisheries refugia zones in areas of critical habitat (conservation zones, MPAs, MFMAs); Install artificial reef or posts to prevent trawling in turtle habitat; Develop incentives for adequate protection of areas of critical habitat outside protected areas; Integrate conservation and protection of sea turtles into the land use planning process and private sector stakeholders, in order to limit impact of development on key sea turtle habitats; Create four primary databases for sea turtle research and monitoring; Organise events on sea turtle conservation and their presence in Cambodia; Conduct focused educational and awareness programmes for target groups; Strengthen trans-boundary collaboration through existing mechanisms; etc.