| Archive for bridgebuilder.myfreeforum.org bridgebuilding effort, cross culture, cross faith, not bridge construction |
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Amazing feat of green turtleSunday June 25, 2006Amazing feat of green turtle BY K. SUTHAKAR KEMAMAN: She was nicknamed Tumec 4, a female green turtle that was released from the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) in Ma’Daerah here, on Aug 20, last year. Her journey was tracked by satellite and by the time the battery ran out 60 days later, she had traversed 2,390km to the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. Two other female turtles tracked at the same time ventured as far as Vietnam and Indonesia but the only male turtle tracked settled for Tioman. This is believed to be the first time that a green turtle had been tracked navigating such a distance from a nesting site in Malaysia. The four turtles were fitted with transmitters to allow them to be tracked by an American satellite. The data was relayed through a French ground station, which passed the information to Tumec via the Internet. The Tumec 4 turtle was released on Aug 20 last year, the Vodafone 1 turtle also on the same day, Vodafone 2 on Aug 29 and Tumec 5 on Sept 9. Vodafone 1 was spotted in the waters off Vietnam after navigating 1,600km and Vodafone 2 was spotted off Java island, 1,290km away. The only male released, Tumec 5, was detected near Pulau Tioman, which was about 350km away. Tumec head Kamaruddin Ibrahim said: “I believe this is the first time a green turtle nesting in Malaysia have been tracked navigating such a distance.” Turtle scientist Prof Chan Eng Heng agreed, saying a green turtle released in Pulau Redang between 1993 and 1995 was detected in the south of Pahlawan Island in the Philippines. It had navigated 1,700km. Kamaruddin believed that leatherbacks migrate further from their nesting ground to feeding grounds. In the 1970s, he said two leatherbacks tagged in Rantau Abang were found dead in Japan after being caught in fishing nets. He said the tags were returned to the Fisheries Department. “This further proves that we can only do so much in conserving turtle nesting in Malaysia such as incubating the eggs and protecting the nesting sites. “Due to the migratory nature of turtles, we cannot protect them when they navigate long distances to their feeding grounds,” he said. According to a report in the Internet, the ability of the sea turtles to migrate thousands of kilometres is one of the most remarkable acts in the animal kingdom. That adult females return faithfully to nest on the very beach where they were born makes the feat even more amazing, it said. Kamaruddin said Tumec planned to track more turtles but was short of funds. Those willing to sponsor the transmitters (each costing RM7,000) can contact him at 09-845 8169 or email kdin55@ yahoo.com. |
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The Turtle sanctuaryhttp://madaerah-turtle-sanctuary.org/ |
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An old news-clipCompanies help turtle sanctuaryBy MENG YEW CHOONG KEMAMAN: Sea turtle conservation in Malaysia received a boost when Dow Chemical Sdn Bhd, BP Malaysia (BPM) and BP Petronas Acetyls Sdn Bhd (BPPA) joined hands to donate in kind to Ma’Daerah turtle sanctuary here. Dow gave RM125,000 for the construction of a wooden longhouse which would be used to house volunteers in the sanctuary, while BPM and BPPA jointly contributed RM80,000 worth of solar panels to generate electricity. Before this, the volunteers had to camp outdoors whenever they came to the isolated stretch of beach hidden by hills and undulating terrain as the sanctuary did not have electricity supply. With the latest facilities, which include toilets and bathrooms, the volunteers would have a less trying time whenever they visit the sanctuary which is perhaps the last pristine nesting site for sea turtles in Malaysia. BPPA acting plant general manager Roslan Ismail said the 48 solar modules hooked to 24 maintenance-free batteries were capable of producing 3.6KW, an amount which should be sufficient to power lights, fans and other non-draining electrical equipment such as television and computers. “The use of solar power for the Ma’Daerah sanctuary is an example of BP’s and BPPA’s commitment to tackling the issue of climate change. Moreover, it is a perfect alternative to the noisy diesel generator,” he said. Dow Chemical senior plant manager Richard Cliett said that the wooden longhouse was his company’s commitment to contribute to the betterment of society and environment where Dow operates. Dow has a joint-venture petrochemical operation with Petronas called Optimal in Kertih, while BP is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar cells and modules. Located 125km from Kuala Terengganu, Ma’Daerah is the first turtle sanctuary in Malaysia to be managed by the government, the private sector and an NGO. It is the second largest turtle sanctuary after Rantau Abang. Established as a sanctuary since 1999, Ma’Daerah aims to provide a stretch of undisturbed beach for nesting turtles and increased protection for eggs, to improve the monitoring and recording of nesting and to instil public awareness about turtle conservation. It is estimated that nearly half of all the green turtles in Peninsula Malaysia land at Ma’Daerah. Other species to land there are the Olive Ridley turtle and the painted terrapin (currently listed as critically endangered). Ma’Daerah also serves as a hatchery for turtle eggs collected from nearby beaches in Chagar Hutang, Rhu Kudung and Tanjung Batu. |
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