Malaysian Fisheries Dept To Enforce Use Of Trawl Nets With 'TED' To Protect Turtles

Bernama 20 Oct 08;

DUNGUN, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- The Fisheries Department will soon make it compulsory for trawl fishermen to use nets which are installed with a turtle excluder device (TED) to prevent turtles from becoming trapped or entangled in them.

Fisheries deputy director-general (operations) Suhaili Lee said such trawl nets were being used in countries like Mexico and the United States of America.

He said the nets were introduced to fishermen in the country five years ago.

TED is a specialised device that allows a captured turtle to escape when caught in a fisherman's net.

Speaking to reporters after launching the e-Turtle Information at the Rantau Abang Turtle Information Centre near here today, he said turtles which were caught in trawl nets would die when they became entangled in them.

Suhaili said based on records gathered by the Terengganu Fisheries Department, only three leatherback turtles landed to lay their eggs at Rantau Abang this year.

He said there were currently seven types of turtles in the world with four of them -- leatherback turtle (Dermochelys), green turtle (Chelonia Mydas), ridley turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) and Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricita)-- taking between 20 and 50 years to mature.

-- BERNAMA