Beach clean-up to protect turtles

Beach clean-up to protect turtles
"This is the first time such a campaign has been held in Terengganu, which will be the focus of this year's global clean-up campaign," Australian Clean Up the World founder Ian Kiernan said.
"Obviously, there has been some concern expressed over the effects of rubbish and the diminishing number of turtle arrivals in the state."
Clean Up the World, a community-led environmental campaign, began in 1989 when Kiernan, a solo-yachtsman disgusted with the amount of rubbish he saw while sailing, organized a clean-up of Sydney Harbour.
Kiernan said nature lovers would pick up rubbish on September 17, to be followed the next day by programmes to educate local villagers on the need to keep the beaches clean.
Terengganu, a booming tourist destination, is also home to important nesting grounds for four of the worlds seven marine turtle species - the leatherback, green, hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtle.
These charismatic species are a big draw for tourists who come to watch egg-laying and the emergence of hatchlings.
But so far this year, only 1,500 had nested here compared with 3,086 last year, Kiernan said.
"Only one leatherback turtle, the most endangered of Malaysia's turtles, has been sighted so far," he said.
Kiernan said that, even though Terengganu residents take great pride in their home, litter and pollution are serious problems.
"Fishermen often throw petrol and oil cans overboard, and fishing nets and ropes are also known to end up in the sea," he said. "Pollution, and associated health problems, is an emerging issue in the area."
Source: China Daily


posted by norhasmira mohd ali
sep060074