Turtle Excluder Devices in shrimp trawl nets are decreasing bycatch mortality

Turtle Excluder Devices in shrimp trawl nets are decreasing bycatch mortality

The urgent need to save our sea turtles has been realised long ago. In Malaysia, turtle conservation measures were introduced as early as 1927 by the British North Borneo Company in Sabah to protect the Hawksbill turtle species.

Furthermore Malaysia was again leading the world in sea turtle conservation when in 1996 Malaysia and the Phillippines signed an agreement to form the Turtle Island Heritage Protection Area.  This is the first trans-boundary turtle conservation area in the world.  It encompasses 9 islands in total with 3 in Malaysia and 6 in the Philippines.

In 2008 the Department of Fisheries created the Malaysia National Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sea turtles.  The action plan seeks to unitise sea turtle conservation efforts in Malaysia and is what guides Help our Penyu and other projects throughout Malaysia.

The Plan’s main priorities are summarised as follows:

  1. National ban on commercial sale of turtle eggs.
  2. At least 80% success hatching rate of eggs incubation in all states.
  3. All states to harmonise their legislation according to the new legislation of sea turtles.
  4. Relevant states to gazette turtle sanctuaries in all important nesting beaches and protect all other nesting beaches.
  5. Establish Malaysian Marine Turtle Working Group (MTWG)
  6. Tagging and monitoring of sea turtles on all important nesting beaches.
  7. Assessment and reduction of turtle by-catch (e.g. through observer program)
  8. Signatory to IOSEA MoU on sea turtles.
  9. Be a party to relevant MoU on sea turtles.
  10. Further identification of turtle nesting, feeding and internesting habitats and migration routes for protection
  11. Restoration of selected degraded nesting beaches.
  12. Intensify research on conservation needs on various life stages of turtles in order to enhance the population and improve management of their habitats.
  13. Enhance public awareness, information and education program to all stake holders specifically to facilitate participation of local communities in conservation program.
  14. National ban on consumption of turtle eggs and other turtle products.
  15. Improving enforcement mechanism in the protection of sea turtles and their habitats.
  16. Establish innovative and sustainable sources of funding.