Tourism and turtles for Pulau Upeh, Malaysia

Jason Gerald John, The New Straits Times, AsiaOne 16 Jul 09;

MALACCA, MALAYSIA - The state government is planning to turn deserted Pulau Upeh into a centre for Hawksbill turtle conservation as well as an eco-tourism attraction.

The island is the country's main landing site for the critically-endangered sea turtle species which belongs to the family Cheloniidae.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the state government would be working with a private investor for this purpose and the planned development would include upgrading the 120 chalets that had been abandoned for 10 years and the construction of new ones.

"The island was initially bought by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and was supposed to be turned into its training centre but the plan did not materialise.

"We have now bought the island back for RM6.5 million and would be developing it with the private sector.

"Work on the island will begin next month and is expected to be completed in a year.

"The shores around the island will be preserved for turtle conservation."

Ali said this after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the purchase of the island between Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) and TNB.

CMI was represented by Malacca State Secretary Datuk Omar Kaseh and TNB by its president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh.

Ali said Pulau Upeh had the potential to be the next big tourism attraction in the state. He added that its location, close to the Klebang beach, made it easily accessible.

"The island would also be a stone's throw from the soon to be constructed RM250 million Arab City Klebang," he said, adding that the island could be accessed via boat from Sungai Melaka or the Boat Explorer jetty in Klebang.

Ali said tourists could visit the island to catch a glimpse of the Hawksbill turtle and this would also be promoted by the state.

"I have asked the state Tourism Promotion Board to look into offering packages for tourists to visit Pulau Upeh," he added.

Every year, between 200 to 300 Hawksbill turtle nests are identified in Pulau Upeh and the nearby beaches.

This population is significant as it is the largest nesting congregation in Peninsular Malaysia.

--NST

Threat to Hawksbill turtles
Martin Carvalho and Chen Pelf Yeen, The Star 17 Jul 09;

MALACCA: A proposed private development project on Pulau Upeh, off the coast here, could see one of Malaysia’s top nesting sites for the endangered Hawksbill turtles being lost for good.

Located off the reclaimed land in Limbongan, the 2.5ha island has a 100m stretch of beach which is home to some 100 turtle nests, almost 30% of the entire estimated 350 nests in peninsular Malaysia.

The latest threat to the nests comes from the approval by the state government to a private company to revive and expand the island’s abandoned resort.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the Government had made up its mind to develop the island as a tourist spot.

“I believe it can succeed this time as tourism development in Malacca is extraordinary,” he said on Wednes­day.

In the late 1980s, the state developed a resort and 120 chalets on the island through the State Economic Development Corporation.

However, it was abandoned in the mid-1990s and the state subsequently sold it to Tenaga Nasional Bhd as a training centre for RM10.4mil in 2003.

A private company applied to carry out the latest revival project and the state approved it last week.

Mohd Ali said the company, which would begin work next month, would increase the number of chalets to 200.

He 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.

Worldwide Fund for Nature Malaysia chief technical officer for peninsular Malaysia Surin Suksuwan expressed shock when told of the revived resort project.

“We are concerned that the project, if carried out indiscriminately, will result in irreversible impact on the turtles nesting and their nesting behaviour,” he said.

He said the WWF had briefed state officials three weeks ago on the turtles and proposed a low-impact turtle eco-tourism project.