KOTA KINABALU: The threat of turtle egg smuggling from the Philippines to Sabah is a serious issue, and authorities on both sides are working together to prevent it from continuing.
In the efforts to combat this illegal activity, Mohamad Ali R. Dimaren, Director II for Biodiversity, Ecosystems, Research and Development Services in the Philippines, has emphasized the implementation of inter-agency protection and enforcement measures.
Speaking at the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (Tihpa) Conference 2023 in Kota Kinabalu, he stated, “The smuggling of eggs to Sabah remains a serious threat but we are doing all we can to prevent this from happening.”
Dimaren further explained that selling turtle eggs is a crime in both the Philippines and Sabah, with severe penalties imposed upon offenders. Depending on the severity of the offense, individuals caught in possession of turtle eggs could face fines ranging from 5,000 pesos (RM419) to 5 million pesos (RM419,000) or imprisonment between five months and five years.
Discussing the penalties, Mohamad added, “It depends on how many eggs are found on the person.”
In Sabah, the smuggling of turtle eggs is categorized as an offense under Section 41(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. If convicted, individuals can face fines between RM50,000 and RM250,000, imprisonment between one and five years, or both.
Highlighting the threats faced by turtles, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew emphasized the numerous challenges that still exist despite the establishment of the Tihpa region. These challenges include habitat loss, pollution, overfishing, and climate change, as well as practices such as turtle egg and meat consumption, shell ornament trading, and the use of turtle-based traditional medicines.
Liew praised the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area as the world’s first transboundary marine protected area for marine turtles, which was established in May 1996 through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between Malaysia and the Philippines in Manila.
Furthermore, Liew highlighted the Tihpa region’s crucial role as a nesting ground for endangered species of marine turtles, including the Hawksbill, Green, Leatherback, and Olive Ridley sea turtles. The area itself also provides support for other marine species of conservation concern, such as fish, marine invertebrates, and mammals.
Reflecting on the achievements of this transboundary collaboration, Liew shared, “Since the inception of this transboundary collaboration, there have been many significant achievements. I was informed that on the Malaysian side, specifically in the Turtle Islands Park of Sabah, we have records from 1979 until March 2023 that about 21,930,308 baby turtles have been released back to the sea.”
Credit: The Star : News Feed
