Malaysia: Perak tracking sea turtles

Audrey Dermawan New Straits Times 13 Sep 12

CONSERVATION: Move to preserve its feeding grounds

SEGARI: PERAK witnessed the release of its very first turtle equipped with a satellite tracking device, into the sea off Pantai Pasir Panjang, near here, yesterday.

The 12-year-old turtle comes from the green turtle species.

With the device sponsored by Malakoff Corporation Berhad, the fisheries authority will be able to track its movement and routes taken to reach the seagrasses -- its only source of food.

The historic event was jointly witnessed by fisheries department director-general Datuk Ahamad Sabki Mahmood and Malakoff Corporation's Lumut power plant manager Abdul Rahman Hussin.

Sabki said once the route was determined, the fisheries authority would be able to demarcate and protect it from any possible encroachment by fishermen.

"It is important for us to protect the turtles, which is one of few marine species which provides us with indication on how healthy our ecosystem is.

"And for now, we can safely say that our marine ecosystem is at a healthy level," he said at the Know the Turtle, Love the Turtle 2013 programme initiated by Malakoff Corporation at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre here.

So far, 11 turtles, including yesterday's, had been released to the open sea with the satellite tracking device, since the project started in 1991. They are from four different species -- green, hornbill, leatherback and olive ridley.

Ahamad Sabki said to ensure the turtle population continued to be protected, the department encouraged fishermen to adopt the Turtle Excluder Device, which allows a captured sea turtle to escape when caught in a fisherman's net.