Kuala Lumpur, Aug 10 : The endangered leatherback turtle population has declined drastically but the turtle is not exinct in Malaysia, the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) said here, refuting a UN environment Programme report which said the species was effectively exinct in this country.
The leatherback turtles could still be seen landing and nesting on the shores of Malaysia's coastal Terengganu area, Kamaruddin Ibrahim, who heads Tumec said adding that "It is correct when one says the population of the leatherback has declined drastically... But the turtle has not become exinct," Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.
The UNEP report from Bangkok had said that the leatherback was effectively exinct in Malaysia where it used to nest in thousands a few years ago. Consumption of turtle eggs by humans and fishing nets in the turtle's nesting areas were blamed for decrease in turtle population in Terengganu.
Kamaruddin said in 2003, 14 leatherback nesting places with 1083 eggs were detected. In 2004, five nesting places with 295 eggs were found and last year one nesting place with 90 eggs was seen.
"This year, we found five nesting places with 336 eggs of two leatherback turtles," he said adding that this proved the leatherback was not exinct in Malaysia.
Tumec is planning to conduct patrols along the coast and sea including ensuring that the turtles are not trapped in the fishing nets. The Terengganu state governement had indicated its commitment to ensure the survival of leatherback with a 200,000 ringet allocation to Tumec this year for conservation of tutles in Terengganu.
Source from kerela.com
Gloomy news, with bluntly shocking numbers of decline. Must be a tragic downturn in Malaysians' conservation effort.
And, it says “Tumec is planning to conduct patrols along the coast and sea including ensuring that the turtles are not trapped in the fishing nets.”
Huh? Now? (Next week izzit?)
Don't you feel that we are useless?
