I read with disgust this little news article in New Straits Times Online. For those of you who are too lazy busy to click the link, I am re-producing it here:
KUALA LUMPUR: The numbers are horrifying. Since the 1960s the number of leatherback turtle nesting sites in Terengganu has plunged from 10,000 to only one last year. As recently as 1984, there were 800 nesting sites.
This cloud does have a faint silver lining though. According to the director of the Turtle Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) in Rantau Abang, Kamaruddin Ibrahim, about half-a-million hatchlings were released into the ocean between 1961 and 2001.
He said that although these turtles had never been tracked from infancy to adulthood, experts place the odds of female adults returning to lay eggs at between one in 1,000 and one in 10,000.
“It is only a matter of time before the mature females return,” he said, adding that turtles return to their birthplace every three to five years to lay their eggs. So we can expect more landings in the coming years, during the May to September nesting season.”
Leatherback turtles are listed as “critically endangered” by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Aside from natural predation, threats to the leatherback include over-fishing for their meat and shell, the poaching of their eggs, which are considered a delicacy; and the destruction of habitat.
Although it is illegal in Terengganu, turtle eggs are openly sold in some markets.
WWF-Malaysia programme officer Rahayu Zulkifli said that eggs are being sold at Pasar Payang and at the night market at Kemasek for RM1.60 to RM2.50.
She said they are a status symbol, like shark�s fin, and some consider them an aphrodisiac.
Kamaruddin said that controlling the mortality rate of leatherbacks cannot be done locally.
Adult leatherbacks tagged in Malaysia have been found dead, entangled in fishing nets as far away as Japan and the Philippines, he said.
First of all, why “Kuala Lumpur” instead of “Kuala Terengganu”? Please don’t tell me that a leatherback turtle had just nested somewhere in KL, because that should make the cover story instead. OK, maybe they have enough reasons for that. I am, afterall, NOT a journalist *bluek* Ouh, I just remembered, the turtles are no longer associated with Terengganu anymore. Gone were the days.. The clownfishes are taking over..!!
Secondly, were there ONLY about half a million hatchlings released into the ocean between 1961 and 2001? Another long term sea turtle tagging and nesting project conducted by the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) of Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUSTEM) incubated about 400,000 eggs and released about 350,000 hatchlings into the sea from 1993 to 2005. Now, between releasing (a) 500,000 hatchlings in 40 years and (b) 350,000 hatchlings in 12 years, I am sure you know which project is better more feasible *winks*
Thirdly, the amount of optimism in Mr. K is amazing. He really thinks that the leatherbacks WILL return to Terengganu in the coming years, despite the fact that only one nesting was recorded last year. The leatherbacks are listed as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) for many reasons, Sir.. No doubt, the green and hawksbill turtles are returning to the Sabah Turtle Islands in amazing numbers but that was because all three turtle islands (Selingaan, Bakkungan Kechil and Gulisaan) were gazetted as a turtle sanctuary back in 1976. Which means the collection AND sale of eggs had been completely banned since 1976. You reap what you sow, no..?
And finally, my favourite sentence in the entire article must be this:
Although it is illegal in Terengganu, turtle eggs are openly sold in some markets.
It says sooo very much about the State Government, no?
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sigh… so sad.. so sad. That time when i went to Ma’daerah, they also told us that only ONE leatherback nesting site…. *sad…*. I saw ppl selling turtle eggs in sabah..(S..a..n..d..*…k..*..N) Ahh….. *sniff sniff*
pelf: *shakes head* The selling of turtle eggs in Sandakan markets, as far as I am concerned, is done discreetly. And I have enough evidence to say that the eggs are highly likely to have come from a neighbouring country. I did some research and interviewed some key people for a project with the University of California.
yknow, i read all these stuff but i’m not sure how to help :/
sipadan is another thing. sigh.
pelf: I sure know how you feel.. But since you are NOT included in our target group, the only way you could help us is to create/raise awareness about the current status of the terrapins and highlight to the general public that the LEAST they could do is to avoid putting them on the table.
By the way, our target group comprises of the local fishermen, their kids, the school children and the local community - because they are the “closest” to the terrapins. Like they say, “charity begins at home” :))
WWF may be sending a team of divers/biologists to Sipadan Island to access the damage, and if you are a qualified diver and/or trained in biodiversity-assessment, you may want to contact them. But if you are not, you may spread the word - that helps :))
Ah i ci c… really do hope that all these activites.. can be removed totally.. (poor turtles and terrapins). I really want to see how those human being feel when /human being listed as “critically endangered” by IUCN.. Really do hope those ppl learn from their lesson. Ah… now my campus esp env mgmt lecturers and students.. are quite aware with turtle and terrapins in malaysia (Yippee… i’m quite proud of). ANyway, pelf ah.. if you need help.. in turtle project.. i’m willing to help cuz i’ll be free after my exam. Officially.. unemploy la..*heee….*
pelf: Thank you for helping us spread the awareness about these turtles
KUALA LUMPUR is where the report is written lah … anyways, animals in the wild is deterorating at an extremely alarming rate. I always tell myself to go and enjoy nature while it’s still around to be enjoyed. Someone once told me that between this generation and the next, almost all wilderness will be destroyed. How sad.
pelf: Yes la.. I guess KL was where the article was written la.. Was just trying to be dramatic *winks* And yes, go and enjoy nature. And to quote the American Museum of Natural History, “Today, we may be losing 30,000 species a year - a rate much faster than at any time since the last great extinction 65 million years ago that wiped out most of the dinosaurs. If we continue on this course, we will destroy even ourselves.”
I propose we show all dealers and poachers of them turtles the law and if they ignore it, we break their knees. I gladly volunteer my steel baseball bat for the job.
pelf: *whoa* Sooo violent ah, Uncle Agony?!
hhmmm…this is another article i found online too. but it’s got to do with leather backs n i immediately thot of u.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/National/20060608075100/Article/index_html
pelf: Thanks for the link
In fact, today’s article sounded more like a “response” to the article that appeared yesterday..
I just got very happy after visit the Cherating turtle sanctuary and saw the babies sea turtle, and now feel so sad reading this.
But please pardon a “outsider” like me, what is the different between the center I mention above and the SEATRU?
pelf: You are NOT an outsider, we all learn together mah :)) Anyway, there are many different agencies “managing” the sea turtle populations in Malaysia. I am not sure under which agency is the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary. But as an example, the Department of Fisheries manages Ma’ Daerah Turtle Sanctuary but the Education and Awareness Programmes are being carried out by WWF Malaysia, with financial support from BP. On the other hand, SEATRU was the brainchild of a then-lecturer of the then-UPM Terengganu, now a Professor at KUSTEM.
And the CTS staff told us that we can watch turtle lay egg, but I thought I read it somewhere else before that it is not healthy for the turtle meh? they suppose to lay egg quietly isn’t it?
pelf: It all depends on where and how you watch the turtles lay eggs la.. For example, visitors are NOT supposed to shine torchlights in the vicinity of a sea turtle EXCEPT at its back; flash-photography should be prohibited; visitors should NOT be allowed to sit on and ride the turtles etc. One of the reasons why these giant leatherbacks are not returning could be because they were treated very badly when they came to nest 2 decades ago: people stole their eggs, visitors sat on and rode them, they used the flash when taking pictures.. You may want to read about the Volunteer Programme conducted by SEATRU.