The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) North Africa office in Tunisia and the North Africa Sea Turtle Network (NAST-Net) inked a memorandum of cooperation to further protect sea turtles in North Africa.

This memorandum sets out the foundations and basic principles of cooperation between the Fund and the Network to implement the terms of the project.

The aim is to strengthen the resources and capacities of the Network to enable it to contribute effectively to the conservation of sea turtles in North African countries and Mediterranean countries in general.

The signing took place in the presence of Interim Director of the WWF North Africa Office in Tunisia Jamel Jrijer, project manager Wassim Amdrous, President of the NASTNet network Imed Jribi and members of the NASTNet network office from Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Libya.

Among the seven species of sea turtles, three (the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle and the Kemp’s ridley turtle) are classified «endangered» and «critically endangered» on the World Red List of Threatened Species, a list drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In Tunisia, sea turtles are a protected species under the law on the protection of cetaceans and a decree from the Ministry of Agriculture regulating fishing activities.

Source: TAP New Agency