(MY) Who will weep for the turtles

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Who will weep for the turtles? - Malaysiakini.com

SM Mohd Idris

Aug 18, 06 5:35pm

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Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is not surprised to hear of the extinction of

our leatherback turtles. In fact, some years ago SAM had anticipated and

highlighted the matter. But it fell on deaf ears.

 

It is lamentable that warnings by SAM and environmentalists in the past went

unheeded and that serious efforts were not taken to address the problem. Now

that the damage has been done, there is no point crying over spilt milk.

 

Sea turtles act as our warning mechanism for the health of the ocean, and

what they are telling us is quite alarming. Their plummeting numbers are

symptomatic of the ocean as a whole.

 

Once a crowd puller drawing tourists by the thousands to Rantau Abang during

their egg-laying period, this living fossil was subjected to all kinds of

abuse from curious onlookers who turned the nesting site into a place for

beach parties.

 

In addition to that is the prevalent slaughter in international waters for

their meat, leather and shells, the stealing of eggs for local consumption

and sale, loss of habitat, over-development of coastal areas reducing their

nesting sites, marine pollution and fish bombing that destroy corals and

vegetation which feed these turtles.

 

Another hazard to the turtles' survival is accidental capture with many

turtles turning up dead in fishing nets. The modern techniques of

mega-fishing vessels has taken a toll on their numbers.

 

Laws exist to protect turtles and their nesting sites under the Fisheries

Act. Unfortunately, it is more of a managed exploitation effort aimed at

saving the species while allowing human use of turtle eggs and egg

collection by licenced collectors.

 

For a species that has survived evolution for over millions of years, the

turtles have finally met their match in humans. Today their numbers have

been decimated to a highly critical level that by the next millennium, what

remains would be the stuffed variety. Humans have never treated these

creatures with the respect they deserve. Evidence suggests that the number

of people who realise the importance of turtle conservation are matched by

an equal number who do not.

 

It should be borne in mind that Pulau Upeh, seven kilometers off Malacca,

and home to the Hawksbill turtles, was promoted as a tourist attraction for

turtle watching in the late 90s. First the state gazetted the island as a

turtle sanctuary and secondly, it was promoted as an eco-tourism

destination.

 

But such aspirations towards conservation was undermined by the very people

entrusted with its management. This included abuse of the Fisheries

Department's egg collection programme, unorthodox practices by licenced egg

collectors and the people's blatant disregard for the turtles.

 

There is a lesson to be learnt, namely that if one plans on turtles to draw

the revenue, then turtle conservation must be emphasised. The idea of

promoting turtles needs to be re-examined by both the authorities and the

eco-tourism industry. There must be some degree of environmental protection

in the pursuit of eco-tourism designed to protect and conserve the turtles.

 

Every effort must be made to provide maximum protection for the turtles and

their eggs if the turtles are to survive for generations to come.

 

*The writer is president, Sahabat Alam Malaysia.*