stephanie lee The Star 15 May 19;
KOTA KINABALU: Professional divers in Semporna are concerned with the “lift bag” method used by certain researchers to tag turtles in waters off Mabul island.
Semporna Professional Divers Association deputy president Dahlan Maizin said using lift bags to bring turtles to the surface might be harmful to the marine species.
“This method was used a few years back and, recently, we saw some researchers using the same method.
“One of us had taken part in the research work a few years ago and took a video of the process.
The researchers were believed to be from local higher learning institutes.
Citing the concept of diving and resurfacing in humans, Dahlan said such a method where a person swims to the surface quickly without any break in between were life threatening due to the drastic change in the pressure to body functions.
“It could be the same for the turtles that are lifted out of the water in such a quick manner.
“Researchers should use suitable methods when dealing with sea creatures,” he added.
He said several dive masters and instructors in Mabul recently found dead turtles with ropes tied around them but were unsure whether they were related to research or illegal catching.
Dahlan also claimed that regular divers in Mabul had noticed that turtles in the area fear the presence of human beings.
“I have been diving in Mabul for almost 10 years and I, too, notice that turtles there are no longer as friendly to divers as they used to be.
“Researchers who do their studies at these areas twice a year might not be aware of behavioural changes of those turtles,” he said, urging the authorities to look into the matter.
'Voluntourism harming Mabul turtles'
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 14 May 19;
SEMPORNA: More diving groups have come forward to criticise the one-off turtle protection programme in Mabul waters, with some alleging that the motive was publicity rather than conservation.
The New Straits Times had earlier reported on concerns raised by the Semporna Professional Divers Association (SPDA) over a research team that they believe could have caused decompression sickness to turtles by “shooting them up to the surface using a lift bag”.
SPDA and another non-governmental organisation here known as Green Semporna (GS) said they hoped that the authorities would look into the tagging programme involving tourists, that was held annually during the Mabul Turtle Week here.
“Every time, after the programme, the number of turtles drops drastically for a few weeks.
“We believe it has to do with the tagging.
“We would like to know how this annual activity is able to conserve and increase the number of turtles off Semporna waters?
“This programme, which is in collaboration with a public university, is merely to get profits from selling voluntourism packages,” said SPDA president Abdul Razak Ismail.
He said he had voiced concerns about their methods of tagging turtles, which included handling and forcing the turtles to come out from the water abruptly, posing a serious threat to them.
Both SPDA and GS have received a lot of feedback from angry members of the public with videos showing a turtle dying during tagging, and another one dying with ropes still tied around its shell.
Razak asked whether the incidents, which were caused by untrained volunteers, had been reported to the authorities.
He added that any disturbance to marine life would affect the tourism industry, especially in Mabul, where the turtles were known to be “friendly” to human beings.
“We are concerned that if the activity continues, those turtles will leave this area for good,” he added.
GS spokeperson Adzmin Fatta said the turtles were protected under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 and managed by the Sabah Wildlife Department.
Offenders can be fined not less than RM50,000 and up to RM250,000 and face a maximum five years’ imprisonment.
“Only authorised officers are allowed to touch the turtles, not tourists or members of the public,” Adzmin said.
Turtle dying in Mabul; research methods possible cause
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 14 May 19;
SEMPORNA: Professional divers here are hoping that researchers will use other “less damaging” methods to conduct studies on turtles at Mabul island off Semporna waters here.
Semporna Professional Divers Association deputy president Dahlan Maizin said the group had found that the said researchers' data collection techniques on turtles were hazardous to the species.
“One of us had taken part in the research work few years ago and took a video of the process.
“The footage showed a group of divers taking those turtles from water to surface (to be tagged on the boat) using a lift bag.
“For human, when they go diving, it is life threatening to shoot up to water surface from underneath due to the effects of drastic change in pressure to body functions. It could be the same for those turtles,” he said, adding that normally any marine animals would be stressful to be outside the water for too long.
Dahlan said they posted the old video on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Semporna-Professional-Divers-Association-SPDA-390729358...) as recently there was also similar study being held at the same place and similar destructive method was applied to the species.
Having been diving for almost 10 years in Mabul, Dahlan also noticed that turtles at the dive sites are no longer as “friendly” to divers as they used to be.
“Unlike those researchers who do their studies twice a year, they might not aware of behavioural changes to those turtles.
“For us who dive everyday here, those turtles swim away from human being and there are not many of them as before,” he said, hoping that in future, divers put to task on collecting data to be given proper training in handling wildlife.
The association’s concern is backed up by Marine Research Foundation executive director Dr Nicolas J Pilche who described using lift bag is fatal for the turtles.
“There are plenty evidence and scientific literature that pointing the method causes decompression sickness whereby the ‘bubbles’ or gas could not be released from the body.
“My suggestion is as easy as to bring the turtles slowly to surface so they will not get the bends,” said the scientist who has been working on the species for 30 years.
Meanwhile, Sabah Wildlife director Augustine Tuuga also agreed that every few days, there are turtles dying around Mabul waters.
“They died due to boat propellers for water activities such as jet ski, parasailing and diving.”
Sabah wildlife dept to discuss turtle-tagging programmes with researchers
stephanie lee The Star 15 May 19;
KOTA KINABALU: A roundtable discussion will be held soon with scientists and researchers involved in turtle-tagging programmes in Sabah, says state Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga.
Augustine said all those involved especially those researching turtles in Mabul off Semporna district must be present.
"We want to know about the whole research programme among other matters," he said.
This came about after professional divers in Mabul and some researchers voiced their concerns over the methods used by a group of scientists and volunteers to tag turtles.
They also claimed that turtles were found dead with ropes tied to their bodies.
However, they could not determine whether these turtles were used in the research programmes.
Augustine said although some scientists said the lift bag method was all right, there were others who objected to the idea.
"That's why we need to talk to all those involved and get feedbacks on turtle tagging methods," he said.
Turtles did not die during Mabul Turtle Week, says volunteer
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 15 May 19;
KOTA KINABALU: A volunteer who was involved in a turtles-tagging programme during the recent Mabul Turtle Week has denied claims that turtles died during the event.
Herman Scholz, a Swiss national, rejected claims by non-governmental organisations Semporna Professional Divers Association (SPDA) and Green Semporna (GS) that untrained volunteers might cause some turtles to die as they were ‘shot up’ to the surface using lift bags for the tagging process.
The organisations had attached pictures and video of turtles which allegedly died during the event.
Scholz, who is a research assistant, said there is a core team which handles the turtles.
“We are all trained to handle the turtles. There is a core group which always joins this programme.
“Paying volunteers are allowed to join, watch and hold our equipment. They will eventually be allowed to write the numbers on the turtles but they are not allowed to handle them any further,” said Scholz, who was been participating in the programme since 2013.
Marine Research Foundation executive director Dr Nicolas J Pilcher, who has 30 years experience in handling turtles, had previously said that the technique of shooting up the turtles to the surface would cause decompression sickness, otherwise known as “the bends”.
Scholz, however, believed that turtles do not get “the bends” as their internal structure is different from humans.
“He (Dr Nicolos) prefers catching turtles with the 'rodeo method,' whereby turtles are chased by boat into shallow waters till they have to slow down from exhaustion. Someone would then jump from the boat onto the turtle (hence 'rodeo'), and capture it.
“The turtle is then taken aboard and normally we turn them onto their backs so they don't move around the boat,” he said, adding the turtles were then photographed, measured and tagged.
Scholz said that after the marking, the volunteers need to brush the carapace with a wire brush.
“Trust me, they don't even feel that (being scrubbed with a wire brush),” he said, adding that the semi-permanent mark would prevent other divers from catching the same turtle in the three-and-a-half-day programme.
The New Straits Times had earlier reported on concerns over a research team that they believe could have caused decompression sickness to turtles by “shooting them up to the surface using a lift bag”.
SPDA and GS said they hoped that the authorities would look into the tagging programme involving tourists which was held annually during the Mabul Turtle Week here. They had claimed that after each programme, the number of turtles would “drop drastically” for a few weeks.
Saving Mabul's green turtles
Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 16 May 19;
SEMPORNA: The Sabah Wildlife Department recorded 18 green turtle deaths off Mabul island from last year until this month.
Its director Augustine Tuuga said some of the protected animals were hit by boat propeller, while others were beached, killed in nets, and deaths by unknown causes.
Of the casualties, one was a tagged female turtle, he added.
Non-governmental associations, Semporna Professional Divers Association and Green Semporna, had recently raised concerns that the method used by researchers and voluntourism exponents might harm and change the behaviour of turtles in Mabul island.
Both also shared several videos on social media on the alleged hazardous handling of the protected species during a research work and the recent Mabul World Turtle Day here.
The footages showed a turtle being "shot up" to surface using a lift bag, another allegedly died during tagging, and a volunteer scrubbing the back of a turtle using a wire brush.
Augustine said the department would hold a meeting with the Semporna Turtle Management Committee members next week to get feedbacks and come up with a solution.
"The meeting which will be chaired by the district officer, will discuss and make a decision on the issue," he added.
The Sabah government, which is aiming for four million tourist arrivals this year, is continuously striving to balance tourism and conservation in the state.
Turtles are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. Offenders can be fined not less than RM50,000 and up to RM250,000 and face a maximum five years’ imprisonment.
To ensure animal welfare in Sabah is well taken care, the state cabinet had passed the Sabah Animal Welfare Enactment 2015. Any cruelty towards animals under the enactment is punishable by a maximum fine of RM100,000 or three years’ jail, or both upon conviction.
