TERENGGANU must immediately gazette Pantai Perdap on Pulau Kapas as a landing beach for turtles to lay eggs, an environmental activist said.

The call comes amidst plans to develop the area north of the island for tourism.

Rani Ahmad, founder of Kapas Society Club, said Pantai Perdap is a turtle landing site.

“If the area is developed, the turtles will leave. They are already endangered, as it is, and now they may lose their sanctuary too,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Besides the proposed development, the turtles are also threatened by egg thefts and the widespread use of trawl nets, he added.

Rani, 56, started the turtle nesting sanctuary in April and has since saved around 5,000 eggs. 

He said he started it to preserve the identity of Terengganu, once famous for its leatherback turtle landings

Before the sanctuary was established, Rani said more than half of the turtle eggs laid on the beach were stolen.

“We have now placed volunteers to guard the eggs day and night so theft has reduced by about 5%,” he added.

According to the Terengganu Fisheries Department, only green and hawksbill turtles now land on the state’s beaches to lay eggs.

In earlier decades, the leatherback turtle, before it was classified as endangered, was synonymous with Terengganu. The largest of all living turtles, Rani said the last time a leatherback laid eggs in Terengganu was 2017.

The Olive Ridley, also classified as endangered, no longer lands in Terengganu.

Protection for turtle eggs

In March this year, Terengganu Agriculture and Food Industry, Plantation, Commodity and Rural Development Committee chairman Azman Ibrahim said the state will amend the Turtle Enactment 1951 (Amendment 1987) during the State Legislative Assembly sitting in November.

Once the amendment is gazetted, the sale of all types of turtle eggs would be banned in Terengganu, he said.

Azman said the state government was aware of the sale of turtle eggs but is unable to take any action as it is currently not an offence under the law.

Currently, only the leatherback turtle is protected by the law but the species has not landed in Terengganu in more than four years.

Last year, Terengganu reported 55 turtle deaths, a drop from 78 the previous year. However, the department believes that many more deaths were not reported.

In the meantime, Rani is urging the fisheries department and the state government to enforce existing laws to protect the turtles

In addition to more frequent monitoring of beaches, there isn’t enough enforcement of laws on the use of trawl nets.

The use of these nets should be controlled by the authorities, he said.

Rani, who has been actively involved in turtle conservation since 1999 said he finds more than 10 dead turtles caught in trawl nets annually.

“The main cause of turtle deaths in the state is trawl nets. Fisherman use the nets because it’s easy.

“Unknowingly, they are killing the turtles because when the turtles get caught in it, they will drown . Turtles need to come up for air every two hours otherwise they will drown. These nets are placed in the water for more than 12 hours,” he said.

Rani said he feels it is his responsibility to help save the turtles as one born and bred in Terengganu.

“If I don’t do it, who will? Besides, Pulau Kapas has become part of my life,” Rani, who has worked at a resort on the island since 1999, said.

The resort where he works runs a conservation centre on Pulau Gemia next to Pulau Kapas. Due to the pandemic however, the conservation license has not been renewed.

“It was abandoned so I decided to take over and continue my work.”

Other than protecting the turtle landing sites, Rani is raising public awareness of the threats turtles face.

Younger people are receptive to the information, he said.

Rani’s main problem now is funding as his organisation is dependent on public donations

“The challenge now is to raise enough funds to cover the cost of monitoring the landing areas,” he said.

Money is also needed for fuel for boats to travel to and from the turtle landing areas and to pay the allowances of volunteers. – September 13, 2021.