ACTIVISTS and the Terengganu Fisheries Department continue to be at loggerheads over the cause of turtle deaths in the state which the latter acknowledges to be due to fish nets.

Turtle activists, however, accuse the department of lax enforcement.

The department said stingray nets and trawl nets were main cause of the 27 turtle deaths that have occurred in the state this year. 

Department director Ruzaidi Mamat said studies showed that the main cause of turtle deaths were these nets with plastic waste in the sea being another cause.

Ruzaidi blamed fishermen who refuse to change their ways, saying they were not unaware that using stingray nets and trawl nets were a danger to turtles, who drown when they cannot surface for air after getting caught in them.

“They continue to fish this way because they want an easy job. Even before this, we have always had programmes and dialogues with fishermen on this issue,” Ruzaidi said.In February, environmental group Sustainable Malaysia Association issued a statement urging the Terengganu fishing authorities to act over the use of destructive fishing nets that had caused 83% of turtle deaths.

Citing a study by the Rantau Abang Fisheries Research Institute, it said 45% of turtles died after being caught in gillnets and another 38% in trawler nets.

The group said 153 turtle deaths occurred from 2019 to 2021.

The Terengganu coast is famous for turtle landings, although it has lost the leatherback turtle which is now extinct. Remaining species are increasing in danger as long as the authorities do not enforce against the use of illegal fishing equipment, activists say.

The Fisheries Act 1985 bans the use of nets exceeding 25 centimetres or 10 inches but the NGO said many fishermen were not complying.

However, the Act also states that trawl nets, while banned in Zone A, which is five miles from the coast, can be used within this zone if it is the monsoon season. Fishermen will need to get a special monsoon-season trawl licence called the PTMT (pukat tunda musim tengkujuh).

Ruzaidi said fishermen with this licence must install a turtle excluder device, or TED.

He said in Terengganu, a total of 61 trawler operators have been given PTMT licenses.

However, he could not say if all of them had installed the TED.

“Marine operations are subject to the weather and sea conditions and are not the same as land operations, which can be done anytime,” he said.

He said the state Fisheries Department had seized 35 stingray nets in their latest operation in Kemaman and Dungun earlier this month.

To criticism over the mounting number of turtle deaths, he and his team had done their best.

Local environmental activist Rani Ahmad, who runs the Kapas Society Club, said the department was ineffective in its enforcement.

“Malaysia is going to see a higher number of turtle deaths.

“We have stressed many times that if the nets are the cause, conduct operations regularly and monitor the situation. So far we have not seen proactive efforts from the fisheries department,” Rani said.

Marine researcher Dr Mohd Uzair Rosli, however, feels it is unfair to blame fishermen entirely, and urged for more dialogue with the community to understand their challenges in earning a living.

Uzair, who heads the External Research Laboratory at the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s Institute of Oceanography and Environment, said more studies, including post mortem on dead turtles, should be done to find out the real cause of deaths.

“We can’t always blame fishermen. For example, if a dead turtle has a crack on its shell, it could have been hit by a boat.”

Uzair is concerned that there are other causes not being addressed, such as in the case of young green sea turtles found dead near Pulau Redang in January.

He said this was unusual, as turtles normally do not return to their nesting or place of birth until they reach maturity, which is at 20 years. There could be other reasons for the young turtle to have remained or be found in the area.

“This incident was very unusual for researchers and needs in-depth study,” Uzair said.

News reports on the young turtle suggested plastic waste ingestion as a cause of death.

Terengganu has 52 turtle hatching locations, including Teluk Mak Nik in Kemaman and Pulau Redang.

Uzair said the university’s work included working with local communities on conserving turtle species and also with non-governmental organisations.

He urged the fisheries department to build understanding and good relationships with the fishing community.

“Fishermen do not lack knowledge or awareness of turtles. But they need to earn a living, and also fear punishment from the authorities.

“Many are aware enough to know that if they see a turtle stuck in their net, they will work to release it.

“But when fishermen let them loose, they also have to lodge a report on the fact

“When turtles are trapped underwater for too long, they become weak and cannot swim anymore. Fishermen let them loose because if they save the turtle they need to lodge a report.”

“They need to report the fact that a turtle was trapped and then released. But they are afraid of going to lodge such reports, they are afraid of getting fined or accused of other wrongdoing.”

Uzair said any conservation work needed good cooperation from the local communities, and education and awareness must also be used instead of relying solely on punitive measures. – March 19, 2022.