Thursday August 6, 2009
Take steps to protect the Hawksbill
I REFER to your recent report on the preserving of endangered species in which the State Fisheries Department director Rosmawati Ghazali stated that Malacca is seen not only as one of the most important landing and nesting sites for Hawksbill turtles in Malaysia but also in the region.
Now an important nesting site of these critically endangered turtles is under threat with the Malacca Government’s approval for a tourist project on Pulau Upeh “Threat to Hawksbill turtles” (The Star, July 17).
Pulau Upeh’s 100m stretch of beach contributes 30% of the entire estimated nests in peninsular Malaysia.
The Chief Minister noted that the state had earlier proposed to the Fisheries Department to convert the island into a turtle-nesting centre but the proposal fell through due to lack of federal funds.
Maybe a new approach to development from a conservation and eco-tourism perspective will bring in more tourists.
The state government should not go down the same path as Terengganu, infamous for the decline of the Leatherback turtles. It should take every measure to ensure that the Hawksbill turtles of Malacca are not pushed into extinction.
CMARIE,
Kuala Lumpur.
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