Guest guest Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 ***************************Advertisement*************************** eCentral - Your Entertainment Guide http://www.star-ecentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my) URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/5/11/features/7935947 & sec=f\ eatures ________________________ Tuesday May 11, 2004 Slaughter continues THE recent discovery of over 100 turtle carcasses on a foreign trawler in Sabah waters exposes the extent of the illegal trade in this country. What is especially worrying is frequent discoveries by the authorities of protected and endangered species bound either for foreign markets or for local consumption. The endangered sea turtles have become a source of income to foreigners who understandably know the price these turtles will bring. While Sabah is trying its utmost to conserve the turtles, others seem to have no regard for its efforts and are reaping profits from its conservation work. If the senseless and heinous act of hunting sea turtles continues, it will be a matter of time before they become extinct. The humble turtle is quietly succumbing to the voracious Chinese appetite for its meat. While its meat is considered a delicacy, the shells of the turtle are used in traditional medicine. A massive Chinese market coupled with the slow reproductive cycle of the turtle have resulted in a crisis of sorts. The marine turtle population has been dwinding over the decades as a result of human exploitation. Recently, several dead turtles were washed up on Pantai Sepat, Kuantan. They were believed to have been caught in fishing nets. This comes as no surprise as fishermen have scant regard for marine life and will waste no time in hacking the turtles to free them from entanglement in their fishing nets. The recent intrusion by a foreign vessel into Malaysian waters is not a new phenomenon. In fact, there have been regular reports of intrusion. In 1999, the State Marine Fisheries Department warned that action would be taken against foreign fishermen who encroached on Sarawak waters to hunt for marine species like turtles, after the macabre finding of a carcass of a giant leatherback turtle on a Vietnamese fishing vessel. There is a need to strengthen enforcement. The relevant enforcement authorities must come down hard on perpetrators, irrespective of whether they are locals or foreigners. The authorities should be ever vigilant to detect any foreign vessels encroaching on Malaysian waters to steal fish and other marine resources, or for criminal activities. All maritime enforcement agencies should come together to pool their resources to formulate an effective strategy to protect the nation & #8217;s marine resources against foreign encroachment. Sea turtles are highly migratory endangered species and their conservation needs the participation of all nations. There should be a wider conservation effort not just within the region but beyond the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. There is a need for countries to take steps to educate their fishing communities on encroachment into foreign waters. Training should also be provided to our fishermen to create awareness and impress upon them the importance of conserving our marine life. We should act with urgency. It is a lost battle if we wait until the last few turtles are left. Again, if conservation efforts are met with slaughtering, entire populations of turtles could be wiped out. S.M. Mohd Idris President Sahabat Alam Malaysia<p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2004 Report Share Posted May 12, 2004 This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/5/11/features/7935947 & sec=f\ eatures ________________________ Tuesday May 11, 2004 Slaughter continues THE recent discovery of over 100 turtle carcasses on a foreign trawler in Sabah waters exposes the extent of the illegal trade in this country. What is especially worrying is frequent discoveries by the authorities of protected and endangered species bound either for foreign markets or for local consumption. The endangered sea turtles have become a source of income to foreigners who understandably know the price these turtles will bring. While Sabah is trying its utmost to conserve the turtles, others seem to have no regard for its efforts and are reaping profits from its conservation work. If the senseless and heinous act of hunting sea turtles continues, it will be a matter of time before they become extinct. The humble turtle is quietly succumbing to the voracious Chinese appetite for its meat. While its meat is considered a delicacy, the shells of the turtle are used in traditional medicine. A massive Chinese market coupled with the slow reproductive cycle of the turtle have resulted in a crisis of sorts. The marine turtle population has been dwinding over the decades as a result of human exploitation. Recently, several dead turtles were washed up on Pantai Sepat, Kuantan. They were believed to have been caught in fishing nets. This comes as no surprise as fishermen have scant regard for marine life and will waste no time in hacking the turtles to free them from entanglement in their fishing nets. The recent intrusion by a foreign vessel into Malaysian waters is not a new phenomenon. In fact, there have been regular reports of intrusion. In 1999, the State Marine Fisheries Department warned that action would be taken against foreign fishermen who encroached on Sarawak waters to hunt for marine species like turtles, after the macabre finding of a carcass of a giant leatherback turtle on a Vietnamese fishing vessel. There is a need to strengthen enforcement. The relevant enforcement authorities must come down hard on perpetrators, irrespective of whether they are locals or foreigners. The authorities should be ever vigilant to detect any foreign vessels encroaching on Malaysian waters to steal fish and other marine resources, or for criminal activities. All maritime enforcement agencies should come together to pool their resources to formulate an effective strategy to protect the nation & #8217;s marine resources against foreign encroachment. Sea turtles are highly migratory endangered species and their conservation needs the participation of all nations. There should be a wider conservation effort not just within the region but beyond the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. There is a need for countries to take steps to educate their fishing communities on encroachment into foreign waters. Training should also be provided to our fishermen to create awareness and impress upon them the importance of conserving our marine life. We should act with urgency. It is a lost battle if we wait until the last few turtles are left. Again, if conservation efforts are met with slaughtering, entire populations of turtles could be wiped out. S.M. Mohd Idris President Sahabat Alam Malaysia<p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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