SPA/RAC is organising a workshop for the validation of the national Action Plan for the conservation of Marine Turtles in Egypt, Cairo (Egypt), October 12^th 2017

There are mainly three marine turtle species occurring along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast: the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta, which is the most common turtle species in the Mediterranean, the green turtle Chelonia mydas, which prefers the eastern shores of the Mediterranean (mainly Turkey and Cyprus), and the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea, which visit the Mediterranean basin to feed.

The main threats these species are facing in Egypt are bycatch, turtles direct use and coastal development.

In order to promote the conservation of marine turtle species and their habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, SPA/RAC is assisting the national authorities, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), to elaborate a national Action Plan to enhance the protection of marine turtles in the Egyptian Mediterranean coasts.
The NAP is focusing on the following priorities:

• Identifying impacts on sea turtles and their habitats and taking mitigation measures;
• Ensuring that relevant human activities are managed, so that human-induced mortalities is reduced;
• Marine turtle habitats are being monitored, protected and, if needed, restored;
• The governance and capacity building framework for marine turtle conservation is enhanced;
• Enhancing cooperation and coordination at national and regional levels.

The workshop organized by the SPA/RAC in collaboration with EEAA in Cairo (Egypt) on October 12th 2017, aims to discuss the proposed action plan for its validation with a view to its future implementation