FWD: Early efforts to conserve the river terrapin

July 22, 2004

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This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)

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Tuesday July 20, 2004

Early efforts to conserve the river terrapin

By HILARY CHIEW

IT IS on the list of the world’s 25 most endangered turtle species.

Conservationists put it on the Death Row, predicting its disappearance within

the next 10 years if nothing is done to protect existing populations.

The precarious status of the river terrapin (Batagur baska) has been

acknowledged decades ago. Locally known as tuntung sungai, the hard-shelled

freshwater turtle lives in several of our major river systems.

Widespread consumption of turtle eggs among the villagers has prompted the

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to set up three captive

breeding centres in the peninsula.

The first centre was set up in Bota Kanan, Perak, in 1968, followed by another

centre in Kg Bukit Paloh, Terengganu, in 1976. A third centre was set up in Sg

Pinang, Kedah, in 1978.

However, early intervention could not stop the slide of the species into its

present dire state as the efforts lacked scientific input.

For instance, the centre at Bota Kanan has been producing mainly female

terrapins, resulting in inadequate mating opportunities for adult females.

Out of the present 500 captive-bred terrapins in Bota Kanan, about 70% are

female, ranging in age from six months to 36 years old. State director Jasmi

Abdul attributes the skewed gender ratio to incubation in styrofoam boxes and

has since replaced this method with incubation in natural nesting sites. (The

sex of hatchlings is determined by the incubation temperature. Higher

temperatures will produce more females.)

“We have nine rangers patrolling the beach. The eggs are now left in their

natural nesting sites. We have been doing this since 1999,” says Jasmi who

assumed the post in that year.

The pride of Perhilitan’s conservation programme, the Bota Kanan centre has

been registering a drastic decline in its egg collection. From tens of thousands

in the early 1980s, egg collection has dropped to 5,000 in 1998, and a mere

1,000 during the recent nesting season from September to March.

To date, the centre has released 41,000 terrapins with an annual average of 500

head-starters. Apart from the captive-propagated population, it currently holds

another 1,200 head-starters intended for staggered release over the next four

years.

Jasmi does not discount the possibility of the terrapins being poached for the

restaurant trade, reportedly fetching RM30 per kg.

Perak has the earliest legislation – the River Rights Enactment 1915 – to check

exploitation of river terrapins: one-third each for the Sultan, public

consumption and conservation. It is understood that the Sultan of Perak, who is

the patron of World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF), does not request for

the eggs.

Since 1968, Perhilitan has been appointed by the Perak state to manage its

captive-breeding programme for terrapins. The department set a 20% incubation

target for all eggs deposited along the Sg Perak. But as nesting at Bota Kanan

plunged over the years, the centre had to augment the shortfall by buying eggs

from collectors.

In Terengganu, the state’s Perhilitan had earmarked the Pasir Kumpal nesting

site of Sg Dungun for protection. However, the idea was abandoned as a result of

delays – the sandbanks were already degraded by sand-mining activities before

further action could be taken.

Although Pasir Temir and Lubuk Kawah on Sg Terengganu have been gazetted as

turtle sanctuaries, the villagers continue to harvest eggs along these

sandbanks.

Asked if any of the poachers had been charged, chief ranger Mohd Yusof Jusoh

was hesitant in calling the uncooperative villagers “poachers”.

The Terengganu Turtle Enactment 1951 (Amendment 1987) provides a whole range of

protection and penalties: RM3,000 fine and up to one year’s jail for killing,

possessing, removing or destroying eggs and failure to furnish statistics (in

the case of licensed egg-collectors), and RM1,000 fine or jail up to six months

for injuring or disturbing nesting terrapins. But these provisions have never

been evoked.

WWF’s national project director Dr Dionysius Sharma, who is familiar with the

river terrapin situation in Terengganu, empathises with the rangers.

“There is no clear will and directive to enforce the law in the first place.

Furthermore, it is hard for the rangers as they are often part of the community.

It has to start with education,” says Dr Dionysius.

There is virtually no scientific support for the ground staff. Hatch rates at

the Kg Bukit Paloh centre has been on the decline, while the mortality rate of

the captive-bred hatchlings has risen, yet no investigation has been initiated

to look into the cause.

This year, out of 400 eggs incubated, only 10 hatched. In September 2002, 170

terrapins were stolen from the centre which was left unmanned for a day when the

rangers joined in the department’s family day celebrations. The centre currently

houses 449 terrapins. It has thus far released 10,000 terrapins.

Perhilitan’s work would seem odd given that it does not have any legal

authority as the 22 species of turtles found in Malaysia are not listed in its

only piece of legislation – the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

At a 1996 national seminar on marine turtle and terrapin management, it was

recommended that all marine turtles, terrapins and tortoises be listed as

“totally protected wild animals” under Schedule One of the Wildlife Protection

Act 1972. Calls for amendments to the Act have largely gone unheeded over the

years.

But Dr Dionysius says the peculiar situation should not hinder Perhilitan’s

work in conserving the river terrapin as the reptiles live in river ecosystems

which come under state jurisdiction.

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FWD: Early efforts to conserve the river terrapin

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