Terengganu sea turtles: Request for Pantai Geliga to be gazetted as turtle sanctuary

The Star 10 Jun 10;

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Fisheries Department will ask the Terengganu Government to gazette Pantai Geliga in Kemaman as a turtle sanctuary.

Its director Zakaria Ismail said this was important as Pantai Geliga had the highest number of turtle landings in Terengganu.

“Gazetting it as a sanctuary will protect the turtle nests and eggs.

“The two existing turtle sanctuaries are at Ma’daerah in Kemaman and Rantau Abang in Dungun,” he told Bernama here on Monday.

Zakaria said 21,480 turtle eggs were collected up to last month, of which 3,028 were hatched and the hatchlings returned to the sea.

The department hoped to hatch 300,000 eggs and expected 10,000 visitors to the Turtle Information Centre at Rantau Abang this year. — Bernama