(MY) on turtle egg ban

[Guest guest]

Thursday October 19, 2006-The Star

 

 

Enforce turtle egg ban

 

THE Terengganu government is expected to review the Fisheries Act to

allow for the issuance of licences to turtle egg traders in

Terengganu.

 

Your report, " OK soon to sell turtle eggs " (The Star, Oct 14), quoted

State Agriculture and Regional Development committee chairman Mohd

Jidin Shafee as saying illegal sales were rife and difficult to

control without a proper monitoring system and that with the issuance

of licences, the relevant authorities, including the Fisheries

Department, could thwart unlawful sales.

 

I am not surprised that the majestic leatherback is almost extinct.

Our logic is flawless – if you cannot monitor a banned item, legalise

it!Now, if we were to follow this logic, why not legalise prostitution

and heroin sales?

 

Oh, since we are at it, we should start legalising sales of tiger

parts too, just to stop poaching and to better monitor the situation

in line with Mohd Jidin's logic that " banning egg collecting merely

raises prices and encourages poaching. "

 

What happened to enforcement?

 

Being the most important turtle state, Terengganu has slashed funding

for turtle protection to a mere 10% of what it used to be. The state

offered only RM23,000 this year.

 

Although the collection of eggs is not the only reason for the

diminishing turtle population, it is an important contributing factor.

 

Other factors include unregulated coastal development, pollution,

erosion from poor coastal management and rising sea levels.

 

We should have an integrated management approach, proper biological

assessment, threat assessment and corrective action to check the

decline of the turtle population.

 

We must educate our public about turtles and the current situation so

that they can understand and care to help.

 

At the end of the day enforcing the ban on egg consumption cannot be

overemphasised.

 

I have never seen a leatherback before. It is sad if future

generations cannot enjoy our beautiful country just because a few

policymakers cannot see beyond their term in office.

 

 

 

TMNT,

Kuala Lumpur.