India to sign MoU to conserve turtles ...by NIRMALA GANAPATHY in the INDIAN EXPRESS.

After years of vacillating, India is getting ready to sign a memorandum of understanding with 27 Indian Ocean counties under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which falls under the Bonn Convention to conserve the turtle. Five years ago, India was at the forefront of developing the MoU but decided not to sign it due to a variety of factors. It was felt the time that it would interfere with oil exploration, maritime and fishing activities. But this time, all the ministries concerned were consulted and the environment ministry has decided to go ahead with the MoU. All that remains is a formal Cabinet approval.

Says turtle expert B.C. Choudhury, from the Wildlife Institute of India, ‘‘Studies have shown that turtles migrate upto 2,600 km. If something happens elsewhere, it affects your turtle population. It doesn’t work if you take care of only your side. There is a need for a global effort.’’ The move also has commercial undertones. EU countries insist that environment friendly practices are adopted while fishing, particularly practices to save turtles.