Pilot Year – Tanjung Tukas – 2010

  • Elimination of illegal turtle egg collection at Tanjung Tukas;
  • Turtle tagging program at Tanjung Tukas;
  • Turtles need Trees (TnT) Club run at the Primary school in Perhentian;
  • Environmental awareness excursions for tourists hosted by volunteers at Bubbles Dive Resort;
  • Daily awareness talks given by volunteers to tourists;
  • Collection of data at Tanjung Tukas from coral reefs, beach and rainforest ecosystems;
  • Marine conservation focus group created for villagers;
  • Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) researchers conduct thesis studies;
  • Turtle nest monitoring along the coastline of Terengganu;

2010 is setting the stones in place for a substantial and successful community based turtle conservation project which will sustainably benefit the local villagers and tourism resort.

Phase 1 – Pinang Seribu – 2011-2012

  • In-situ hatchery and tagging program at Pasir Pinang Seribu;
  • Volunteers based fulltime at the village;
  • Villagers hired as ad-hoc staff;
  • Data collected from new survey sites located around the Perhentian Islands Marine Park;
  • UMT researchers conduct studies around Perhentian Islands;
  • TnT club run at schools at Kuala Besut and neighbouring villages;

2011 will see the program influence beyond Tanjung Tukas by protecting the most important turtle nesting beach in Perhentian and benefiting the village by having volunteers based in the village fulltime.

Phase 2 – Mainland – 2013-2014

  • Increase the awareness of the children from mainland schools;
  • Reforest coastal mangrove and peat swamp areas;
  • Educate the majority of tourists visiting the Perhentian Islands Marine Park about how they impact the environment at the jetty;
  • Collect regular nesting data from the mainland beaches of Terengganu and Kelantan;

The mainland affects the environment of the Perhentian Islands in many ways including sedimentation, rubbish, pollution and the major demand for turtle eggs from the islands comes from the mainland.  The project will expand to the mainland to reduce these threats.

Phase 3 – Protecting all Perhentian – 2015-2016

  • In-situ hatchery and tagging program at Penglime Abu and take over management of Tiga Ruang;
  • Establish alternative livelihoods for villagers (rubbish reused, restoration of ecosystems, mariculture and turtle watch program);
  • Work with the local resorts to protect the sea turtle nests laid on their beaches;

Once the demand for turtle eggs has started to reduce the more heavily poached beaches of Perhentian can be protected this is Penglime Abu.  If the demand is reduced the poaching will decrease meaning it is safer to protect the turtles eggs laid on this beach.  Due to the significantly increased protection of beaches in Perhentian HOPE will seek to establish alternative livelihoods in the islands including increasing the impact of Rubbish Reused and exploring the option for a community-based turtle watch program and mariculture in the marine park.  In addition if trials for biorock, mangrove and seagrass replanting is successful the local community will be involved in helping to restore significant areas of these environments creating more jobs.

Phase 4 – Redang – 2017-2019

  • In-situ hatchery at all of the unprotected turtle sanctuaries;
  • Education for tourists at Marang Jetty;
  • Involvement of local villagers on Redang – focus group and TnT Club;
  • Enhancement of current or establishment of new alternative livelihoods;

The most significant island for sea turtles in West Malaysia is Pulau Redang.  The island does have some hatcheries at present but it has unprotected turtle sanctuaries.  HOPE proposes to run in-situ hatcheries on the unprotected turtle sanctuaries of Pulau Redang.  This program will be based on the same principles as the Perhentian Project and include the local villagers and tourists as much as possible.  The mainland volunteer program will cover the jetty at Marang which is the only gateway into Redang Island.  In addition to Redang HOPE will satellite track turtles from Perhentian and mainland beaches to establish data on turtle movements, migrations and feeding grounds.

Phase 5 – Feeding grounds and migration routes – 2020+

  • Explore all feeding grounds;
  • Run community-based projects at significant feeding grounds;
  • Petition for closure of fishing during significant migration periods and locations;
  • Increase research in Perhentian through establishment of a research centre;

Turtles do not live all their lives in one area, they are migratory and have feeding and nesting grounds which could be thousands of miles apart. The best method to track turtles movements is through satellite tracking which was conducted in Phase 4.  The project in phase 5 will act upon the data given through the satellite tracking of green turtles from Perhentian and Redang.  HOPE will then explore significant feeding grounds and ask for migration routes to be closed during the migration season whilst working with fishermen to reduce turtle bycatch and teach resuscitation skills.  Protecting the entire adult lifestage of the turtles is the best method to save these creatures.  In addition further research is needed in the Perhentian Islands and a research centre is planned at Tanjung Tukas.