Guest guest Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 Friday September 22, 2006- The Star Endangered turtles on sale *By R.S.N. MURALI* *KUALA BESUT: *Hatchlings of the endangered Hawksbill turtle are said to be sold illegally to foreign tourists at the Perhentian Kecil island. An Australian environmentalist, James Beckley, who visited the island recently, said one stall owner offered to sell him a hatchling for RM100. " I was aghast to see visitors holding and caressing the hatchlings at stalls along the beach, " he complained to *The Star*. It is learnt that visitors were charged RM10 each to hold the turtles. A check by *The Star* found that some stall operators on the island had hatchlings in their possession. At one stall, three hatchlings were placed in a plastic basin and tourists were allowed to touch them. She claimed the hatchlings were her pets and would eventually be released in the sea. Kolej Universiti Sains and Teknologi Malaysia's (Kustem) Turtle Research and Rehabilitation scientist Prof Chan Eng Heng said the sale and captivation of turtles is unlawful. Prof Chan said she believes the species at Pulau Perhentian Kecil is the green turtle which looks almost like the hawksbill. She said these turtles would not survive for long under captivation. Turtles also need seawater to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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