Dead sea turtles in Terengganu, Malaysia

R.S.N. MURALI, The Star 14 Feb 08;

KUALA TERENGGANU: Four turtles have been found dead on Terengganu beaches within the last five weeks.

The latest case was reported late Tuesday evening when a lifeless female hawksbill turtle measuring 1.5m in length was found on the beach off Gong Balai in Merchang, near here. A villager, Abdul Halim Ariffin, 39, believes the reptile could have been killed after getting caught in a fisherman's net.

"Based on the injuries, I believe the turtle could have died several days before being washed ashore," he said when met here.

On Jan 25, a lifeless male green turtle measuring 89.5cm was found on the beach off Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) in Kuala Terengganu.

A green turtle washed up on Tok Jembal beach some 2km from the university on Jan 6, while on Jan 15, a giant soft-shell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) was found dead along the beach fronting the Botanical Course Camp Resort in Merang.

The giant soft-shell turtle was 63cm long and 55cm wide.