Study show turtles in Peninsular Malaysia soon to be extinct
Dr Chan Eng-Heng published a comprehensive paper in the Aquatic Ecosystem Health Management Journal (vol 9, 2006) called “Marine turtles in Malaysia: On the verge of extinction?“.
It examines turtle populations and factors in their decline from the various states of Malaysia. Egg exploitation is the primary factor of population decline since “hunting and slaughtering of turtles for their meat or other products does not exist”. However, it cites the statistic that over 700 turtles are estimated to drown in trawl nets every year in Terengganu alone. The paper slams exploitation in Terengganu and other states on the Peninsula while praising efforts by the Sabah and Sarawak governments in conserving turtle nesting grounds.
This paper is a must-read.
Except for the Sabah populations, most nesting trends are in decline. The most dramatic declines are exhibited in the leatherbacks, hawksbills and olive ridleys of Terengganu where current nesting numbers indicate that these species are virtually extinct.
Available records indicate that the leatherback population has plummeted from 10,000 annual nestings in the early 1950’s to less than a dozen in recent years (Chan, 1991, 2004; Chan and Liew, 1996, 2001). Although historical data is not available for the hawksbill and olive ridleys of Terengganu, their declines are no less dramatic than the leatherbacks. Green turtle populations in Terengganu haven’t been monitored sufficiently to provide a clear picture of the nesting trends, but anecdotal evidence suggested declines of over 80%. Current nesting density averages 2,000 per year. Nesting trends in the green turtles of the Sarawak Turtle Islands over the last 30 years appear to be in equilibrium with two to three thousand sightings occurring per year. However, in the early 50’s, nestings of over 20,000 per year were recorded, indicating a decline of over 90% (Tisen and Bali, 2000).
Only the green turtle populations of the Sabah Turtle Islands have staged a recovery, with current densities of over 8,000 nestings per year representing a threefold increase over levels recorded in the early 1980’s. This remarkable recovery is attributed to bold conservation decisions made by the Sabah Government more than 20 years ago in the 1970’s when the Turtle Islands were compulsorily acquired from private ownership to provide complete protection to the nesting turtles and their eggs on the islands. However, the hawksbill populations in Sabah haven’t fared as well and appear to have declined steadily over the last ten years. Currently, nesting density ranges from 400 to 500 per year. The other hawksbill nesting population of importance occurs in Melaka where over 250 nests per year can still be found.