Hawksbill turtles returning to nest in Malacca, study finds

Chen Pelf Yeen, The Star 9 Oct 09;

ALOR GAJAH: A study to track hawksbill turtles in waters off the west coast of the peninsula has revealed that the critically-endangered species is returning to Malacca to nest.

The findings emerged from an ongoing research involving eight turtles that were tagged with transmitters and released after nesting in Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting.

The research was initiated by WWF Malaysia and the State Fisheries Department three years ago.

WWF’s Conservation of Hawksbill Turtles officer Lau Min Min said the turtles were tracked as far as the Riau Archipelago in Indonesia and Singapore.

The turtles would swim to the Riau islands and Singapore to feed but they would return to Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting to nest between April and September, she said in an interview.

Lau said the research was also to determine the feeding habits of the turtles along the Malacca coastline and their migration patterns in the Straits of Malacca.

“The study will also enable scientists and planners to better understand the habitat use in the coastal waters off Malacca which is crucial due to future mega coastal development,” she said.

Lau said the wildlife authorities together with the Malacca state government should take steps to preserve and protect the nesting sites on Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting.

On Aug 29, 2006, a hawksbill nesting on Pulau Upeh and named Puteri Pulau Upeh, became the first such turtle in the Straits of Malacca to be fitted with the satellite transmitter.

Seven more turtles were subsequently tagged over the last three years.

Six of the turtles were tracked to the Riau Archipelago while two others were last located in waters south of Singapore.

Last year, 189 hawksbill nesting sites with a total of 23,619 eggs were recorded on Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting, representing almost 40% of the estimated 450 turtles nesting sites found in Peninsular Malaysia.

In July this year, the Malacca state government deferred plans to allow a private developer to revive an abandoned resort on Pulau Upeh pending the outcome of environmental and fisheries impact assessment reports.

Tracking Hawksbills in Melaka 2009
WWF 9 Oct 09;

Padang Kemunting, Melaka - WWF-Malaysia, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries Melaka, has successfully deployed a satellite transmitter on a female hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the wee hours of 5th September 2009 after she successfully nested. She was released at approximately 0600 hrs.

This is the second and final deployment of satellite transmitters in the State of Melaka for this year by WWF-Malaysia; the other had been deployed on a hawksbill nesting at Pulau Upeh on 25th August 2009.

WWF-Malaysia Conservation of Hawksbill Turtles & Painted Terrapins of Melaka, Team Leader, Lau Min Min said "This research, now in its fourth year, is being conducted to determine the feeding habitats of the hawksbills nesting along the Melaka coastline and their migration patterns in the Strait of Malacca. This study will also enable scientists and planners to better understand their habitat use in the coastal waters of Melaka which is crucial in a state with mega coastal development plans. These hawksbills undertake their long journey every few years to Melaka beaches solely to complete their reproductive cycle".

Until 2008, eight hawksbills have been tracked by WWF-Malaysia in co-operation with the State Department of Fisheries using this satellite telemetry technology. Six of the turtles were tracked to the waters of Riau Archipelago in Indonesia whereas two others were last located in southern Singaporean waters. The hawksbills’ journey was mapped in www.wwf.org.my

Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting were specially chosen as deployment sites this year, since these nesting grounds support two of the largest nesting populations of hawksbills in Melaka. The state is home to the largest nesting population in Malaysia, second only to Sabah’s Turtle Islands. Each year approximately 300-400 nestings are recorded by the State Department of Fisheries. The statistics of the two hawksbills tagged this year are as below.

Click on image to enlarge.

As the hawksbills’ marine home extends beyond Malaysian territorial waters, regional co-operation and partnership are important factors in saving these ancient mariners. Guided by the satellite telemetry, WWF-Malaysia will be able to track their journey back to their feeding grounds. Hawksbill turtles are only dependent on the beach for egg incubation and spend most of their lifetime in coastal waters, feeding in coral reefs. Results from this research are crucial for a better understanding of their post-nesting movement and habitat use.

Notes to the Editor:
WWF-Malaysia and the Department of Fisheries Melaka are tracking hawksbills to:

• establish the migration routes and feeding grounds of the hawksbills to facilitate the protection of their marine habitat
• communicate migration routes and distant foraging grounds of hawksbills to relevant regional Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Agreements to enhance regional marine turtle conservation strategies and partnerships (e.g. Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Marine Turtle MoU and MoU on ASEAN Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection)

Satellite telemetry allows researchers to track turtles in the open ocean by attaching a Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) onto the shell of a turtle. The PTT transmits signals to orbiting satellites each time the turtle surfaces for air. The satellites then send the data to receiving stations on earth that researchers can access on their computers.

Sign up at wwf.org.my and help save turtles:

WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” campaign, launched on Earth Day 22nd April 2009 and to run until 30th September 2009, targets to gain pledges from 40,000 members of the public. People who sign up in support of the campaign either at ground events or at wwf.org.my will pledge to:

• support laws that will ban the sale and consumption of all turtle eggs throughout Malaysia
• support the call for comprehensive and holistic Federal legislation to conserve marine turtles
• never consume turtle eggs, or trade in turtles or their parts

Each signature in support of WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” campaign will lend weight to efforts aimed at improving turtle protection legislation in Malaysia. We need to take action to save our endangered turtles today because turtles play a critical role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy; the same ecosystems which sustain our fisheries and tourism industries that provide food and livelihoods for millions of people.

Students Help Save Turtles With Signatures
WWF 9 Oct 09;

Petaling Jaya – Environmental awareness seems to be growing among Malaysian youths, if the enthusiastic support shown by students for WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” turtle conservation campaign is an indicator. By mid-September, students had helped to collect more than 15,000 signatures in support of the campaign, towards the target of 40,000 by 30th September 2009.

The following institutions collected more than 1,000 signatures each:
• City Harvest Church
• Fairview International School
• SMK Majakir Papar in Sabah
• Multimedia University (Melaka campus)
• Olympia College Kuantan
• Sunway University College
• Taylor’s College (Sri Hartamas campus)
• Taylor’s University College Environmental Club (Subang Jaya campus)
• Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Kuala Lumpur

In addition to helping collect signatures in support of turtle conservation, Olympia College Kuantan also hosted the “Telur Rangers”, three young ladies who collected signatures in support of the “Egg=Life” campaign during a Peninsular Malaysia-wide road trip from 26th July to 8th August 2009.

With such strong support for environmental causes from today’s Malaysian youth, there is hope for a bright future for our living planet. To find out more about the “Egg=Life” campaign supporters and the Telur Rangers, log on to www.wwf.org.my and click on the “Egg=Life” banner.

WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” campaign, launched on Earth Day 22nd April 2009 and to run until 30th September 2009, targets to gain pledges from 40,000 members of the public. People who sign up in support of the campaign either at ground events or at www.wwf.org.my will pledge to:

• support laws that will ban the sale and consumption of all turtle eggs throughout Malaysia
• support the call for comprehensive and holistic Federal legislation to conserve marine turtles
• never consume turtle eggs, or trade in turtles or their parts

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Each signature in support of WWF-Malaysia’s “Egg=Life” campaign will lend weight to efforts aimed at improving turtle protection legislation in Malaysia. We need to take action to save our endangered turtles today because turtles play a critical role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy; the same ecosystems which sustain our fisheries and tourism industries that provide food and livelihoods for millions of people.