Malaysia: Dead sea turtle in Sabah underwater clean-up

Divers remove 543kg rubbish
Muguntan Vanar The Star 20 Sep 13;

KOTA KINABALU: An endangered turtle was found dead during an underwater clean-up at Sabah’s east coast Billean and Tegaipil islands.

“As we were removing a fishing net from the reef during the clean-up, it was so sad to find an adult Hawksbill turtle entangled and dead in the net,” said Dr Milena Salgado-Lynn from Danau Girang Field Centre.

The fishing net is believed to have been discarded by a fishing boat before it drifted and got entangled to the reef, said Dr Salgado-Lynn, one of the 35 participants from various organisations in the clean-up exercise.

The fishing net was among the marine debris consisting mainly of plastic drinking bottles, polystyrene lunch boxes, ropes, cigarette butts, slippers and glass bottles collected from beaches and the sea. A total of 543kg of rubbish was hauled up.

“People are still treating the ocean like a giant rubbish bin,” said Rashid Saburi from the Sabah Wildlife Department.

The Reef Guardian-organised project also involved the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Lankayan Island Dive Resort.

The clean-up at the Billean and Tegaipil islands that come under the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area was carried out in conjunction with Project Aware. It is organised worldwide to remove marine debris from beaches and the sea.

Reef Guardian emphasises a message to turn mere awareness into action to save the ocean from further pollution and destruction.

“The public is actually aware that our environment is in the process of degradation. However, only a few are taking action to stop it,” said event manager Radzi Abdul Kadir of Reef Guardian.

He said to protect and save Sabah’s natural resources, more action was needed from everyone to recycle and not pollute rivers and the sea with harmful materials.


Watery grave for rare turtle
New Straits Times 20 Sep 13;

SANDAKAN: More effort is needed to create greater awareness of marine conservation and pollution.

Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) officer Rashid Saburi said people were harming not only themselves, but also the environment and marine life by littering.

"People are still treating the ocean like a giant rubbish bin and they may not realise that whatever they throw into rivers, seas and beaches will end up on their dinner plates."

He was speaking during a beach and underwater clean-up, organised by Project Aware at Billean and Tegaipil Islands, at the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (Simca), near here, on Sunday.

In the clean-up, over half a tonne of debris were collected by 35 participants from Reef Guardian, Danau Girang Field Centre, SWD, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Lankayan Island Dive Resort.

Spearheaded by Reef Garden, a non-profit research outfit based at Simca, the programme was aimed at creating awareness and turning it into action.

Among items cleared from the beach and seabed were plastic drinking bottles, polystyrene lunch boxes, fishing nets, ropes, cigarette butts, slippers and glass bottles.

Reef Guardian event manager Radzi Abduk Kadir said: "The public is aware that our environment is degrading. However, only a few of them are taking action to prevent and preserve it."

Danau Girang researcher Dr Milena Salgado-Lynn said the carcass of a rare male adult Hawksbill turtle was also recovered, entangled in a fishing net.

"It was sad. The turtle may have been caught in the net after it was discarded from a boat. The turtle appeared to have drowned," Dr Milena said.

Uncaring fishermen
Ruben Sario The Star 25 Sep 13;

KOTA KINABALU: A clean-up in waters off two marine parks in Sabah’s east coast have revealed the killing of marine life due to carelessness by commercial fishermen.

A carcass of a Hawksbill turtle was found entangled in a fishing net discarded by fishermen during a clean-up of reefs around the Billean and Tegaipil Islands, that are part of Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) located some 80kms off Sandakan.

The fishing net was among the 543kgs collected during the Sept 15 clean-up in waters off the two islands that are part of the 46,317ha conservation area.

“It was so sad to find the adult Hawksbill turtle entangled and drowned in the net,” said Dr. Milena Salgado-Lynn from NGO Danau Girang Field Centre.

They believed the net was discarded by a fishing boat, drifted and got tangled to the coral reef.

“People are still treating the ocean like a giant rubbish bin, they may not realize that whatever they throw into the river, sea and beaches will end up in their dinner plates.” added Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) Wildlife Officer Rashid Saburi.

The clean-up involving 35 participants from NGO Teef Guardian, (DGFC), SWD, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Lankayan Island Dive Resort.

The event was carried out in conjunction with the Project Aware organised worldwide to remove marine debris from the beach and sea.

“The public are aware that our environment is in the process of degradation, however, only a few of them are taking action to prevent and stop it,” said event manager Radzi Abdul Kadir of Reef Guardian.

He said most of the rubbish collected during the one-day event comprised plastic drinking bottles, styrofoam containers, bits of fishing nets, ropes, cigarette butts, slippers and glass bottles.