The Star 26 Mar 10;
WHEN we talk about turtle conservation, the vision in our mind is either the turtles in the sea or laying eggs on the beach. And when there is a request for volunteers to help in turtle conservation, we would think of going to the beach, guard their nests or collect their eggs and relocate them at a man-made nest at a turtle conservation hatchery. But in truth, everyone can help in turtle conservation without even going to the beach or the sea.
We all know that all waterways, rivers and drains end up in the sea and eventually the ocean. This means that everything that goes into these waterways end up in the sea – all the toxic waste, plastic bags, plastic bottles, construction and domestic garbage, and even dead animals .
Yes, I have seen a floating dead cat in the sea and I have seen my neighbour’s maid put a dead cat into the trash bin!
How many of us would give a dead animal a burial? Not only is it a respectable thing to do but it is also a hygienic way to do it. A dead animal left to decompose on the road or anywhere is going to release zillions of bacteria onto the ground and the air will stink.
So, the very first step towards turtle conservation is taking care of what goes into our drains, waterways and rivers. A polluted sea is not going to sustain marine life, be it seaweeds, sea grasses, corals, fishes, turtles and everything else the ocean holds. Ocean “dead zones” have been linked to agricultural run-off and other pollution coming down major rivers and drains.
Shoreline development must be stopped. Any development along coastlines must meet perimeter limitations, if we really do care about our sea’s state of health which is at quite a critical level.
Corals are dying from pollution and slowly disappearing because of illegal harvesting. Corals have also been destroyed by over-excited tourists who step on them. Shoreline resorts are not educating their visitors on the do’s and don’ts of sea sports and recreation when they themselves are making money out of nature and its treasures.
Beach resorts should set themselves as examples of guardians of the beach and the sea and then it will be easier for the rest to follow. There are currently quite a number of turtle sanctuaries in Malaysia but the problem is there aren’t many turtle eggs to save any more. There isn’t even enough beach area for the turtles to lay their eggs, so much so that some turtles are digging pits on existing nests. How sad and critical!
I have just returned from beautiful Tioman island and hope real hard that this precious pearl of Malaysia will be preserved and taken good care of.
DATIN ROSSITI AISHAH RASHIDI,
Founder of Green Hopes Eco Warriors @ Facebook, Shah Alam.
