Protecting Sea Turtles Begins with the Law Ruaa Centre Launches Specialized Environmental Training in Aden

Today, Wednesday, Ruaa Centre for Strategic Studies, Consulting, and Training, in cooperation with the General Authority for Environmental Protection Office in Aden, launched a specialized training course titled: “From Legal Text to Practice: Protecting the Environment and Marine Life in the Gulf of Aden.” The course is part of the “Save the Sea Turtles in the Gulf of Aden” project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Small Grants Programme (SGP).

At the opening of the course, Dr. Jaklin Mansour Al-Battani, head of Ruaa Center, stressed the importance of moving from theoretical legal frameworks to practical implementation on the ground in order to strengthen environmental and marine life protection, particularly endangered sea turtles. She also explained that the course aims to raise awareness among security and law-enforcement authorities about legislation governing environmental and sea turtle protection, as well as the penalties and legal consequences associated with violations, emphasizing that cooperation between official institutions and civil society is essential for achieving sustainable environmental protection.

For his part, Eng. Niazi Mustafa, Director of the General Authority for Environmental Protection Office in Aden, reviewed the Authority’s role in enforcing environmental laws and highlighted the importance of increasing awareness among security personnel and relevant workers regarding legislation regulating environmental and marine protection to reduce harmful practices affecting coastal and marine ecosystems.

The training brought together security personnel, environmental protection workers, and activists from environmental institutions and associations as part of efforts to strengthen capacities and enhance legal and practical knowledge related to marine environmental protection.

The course trainer, Yasser Ghubaira, Director General of Foreign Policies at the Ministry of Water and Environment, delivered an introductory presentation on the environmental characteristics of the Gulf of Aden, highlighting sea turtles as a model of threatened marine species. He also reviewed national environmental legislation, including the Environmental Protection Law, the Marine Environment Protection Law against pollution, and the Law regulating fishing and marine life.

The two-day course comes within ongoing efforts to strengthen the enforcement of environmental laws and protect marine biodiversity in the Gulf of Aden, contributing to the preservation of marine resources for future generations.