(MY) vanishing turtles

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Thursday June 22, 2006 - The Star

 

Ranger: Ban sale of turtle eggs fast

 

*Story by K. SUTHAKAR*

 

*KEMAMAN:* " *Kalau boleh dok aci jual sute (sebutir) pun telor penyu.* " (If

possible, not a single turtle egg should be sold.) This is the fervent hope

of Osman Salleh, 56, an egg collector here for the last 20 years. He is

widely respected for his knowledge of turtles.

 

Better known as Pak Man, he reckons that he has collected eggs from some

10,000 nestings.

 

He was a private egg collector at the Paka beach before becoming a ranger at

the Ma'Daerah turtle sanctuary in 2000.

 

Pak Man patrols the beach nightly for turtle nests. He has the uncanny

ability to pinpoint where a female has laid her eggs despite its attempts to

camouflage the location.

 

" I know I'm not as smart as those who decide on matters pertaining to turtle

conservation. But I do know we must ban the sale of turtle eggs as soon as

possible, " he told *The Star*.

 

He was commenting on the statement by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh,

who had for the first time, indicated interest in banning the sale of turtle

eggs.

 

Idris had asked the Fisheries and Wildlife departments and Kolej Universiti

Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia for a report on the sale of eggs.

 

" I hope something comes out of this, " said Pak Man, who lives in Kampung

Gelugor, Kerteh.

 

He is hoping that the Fisheries Department will beef up enforcement against

fishermen who string drift nets across the coast after sunset.

 

" It must ban the usage of the nets during the turtle nesting season, from

April to October.

 

" I know it will affect the fishermen's income, but there is no other way, "

he said.

 

Pak Man said the use of the nets since the early 1990s was one reason for

the decline in the number of turtle nestings.

 

" Turtles often get entangled in the nets on their way to the shore and some

die from suffocation. "