BBC Malaysia turtle egg plan 'crazy'

[Guest guest]

>

> * Malaysia turtle egg plan 'crazy' *

>Environmentalists are aghast at a plan to

>license turtle egg collection in a Malaysian

>state.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6051382.stm

Malaysia turtle egg plan 'crazy'

By Jonathan Kent

BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

 

Environmentalists have branded a plan to protect

turtles in Malaysia by licensing turtle egg

collection in a key breeding areas as " crazy " .

 

The authorities in Terengganu state say the plan

to legalise the trade will help them control it

better.

 

Conservationists say it will drive the creatures further towards extinction.

 

Tourists used to come in droves to Terengganu,

on peninsular Malaysia's east coast, to watch

thousands of turtles come ashore to nest each

year.

 

But illegal egg collection and modern fishing

practices have driven many turtle species to the

brink of extinction.

 

Dismal

 

Terengganu's head of agriculture and regional

development, Mohamad Jidin Shafie, says

conservation efforts seem to have failed.

 

He says banning egg collecting merely raises prices and encourages poaching.

 

But many environmentalists are aghast.

 

They say the local government's attempts to stop

the turtle egg trade have been dismal - eggs are

on sale openly throughout the state.

 

And they have described the plan to regulate the

practice as " crazy " and " simply not thought

through " .

 

Conservationists say it would make it impossible

to tell whether eggs have been collected legally

or not.

 

Instead, they want a properly monitored ban and

more support for their efforts to buy back stolen

eggs.

 

Earlier this year Terengganu dropped the turtle

as the state's mascot in favour of the clown fish.

 

The state's chief minister said it was an agile and dynamic symbol.

 

Environmentalists suggested the fish's main

attraction was that, unlike the turtle, it had

not been all but wiped out in the area.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6051382.stm

 

Published: 2006/10/14 14:48:37 GMT

 

© BBC MMVI

 

--