Towards the CMS Agreement Concerning Conservation of Sea Turtles of the Mediterranean

Abstract

Sea turtles challenge international law regime throughout their lifecycle. They nest and hatch on beaches, the terrestrial area under the coastal state sovereignty. After hatching, young turtles depart from the nesting site following the moonlight reflection on the sea. They swim across the seas, crossing vast distances in migrating between nesting, feeding, and wintering grounds, traversing different legal regimes recognized by the international law.

In the Mediterranean, the legal framework to protect sea turtles already exists: many global or regional instruments are addressing at least one of threats that are endangering sea turtle survival. However, there is no single legal instrument in the Mediterranean that protects sea turtle comprehensively.

The main objective of the thesis is to answer what is the potential of developing the Agreement concerning conservation of sea turtles of the Mediterranean under the CMS framework, and whether a new regulatory instrument would contribute towards improving or maintaining favorable conservation status of sea turtle species in the Mediterranean.