‘Turtle conservation crucial’

WWF-Malaysia lauds heavy penalties for turtle egg trader

WWF-Malaysia has welcomed the stiff penalties imposed on an online trader who was jailed for having 20 turtle eggs.

It said the penalties based on the Sentencing Guideline on Wildlife Crime were ideal to counter illicit trading and poaching of wildlife in the state.

On July 3, Sessions Court judge Elsie Primus sentenced 21-year-old Alsirad Samad to a year in jail and fined him RM200,000 after he pleaded guilty to possession of turtle eggs.

He is believed to have offered the eggs for sale through online platforms and may spend another two years in jail if he fails to pay the fine.

WWF-Malaysia, in a statement, noted the guidelines by the judiciary were developed in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department and WWF-Malaysia.

Based on a 2019 report by antiwildlife trafficking group Traffic, WWF-Malaysia said that an assessment on the trade in marine turtles in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam showed some 129 cases of marine turtle eggs were seized in Sabah between 1999 and 2017.

WWF-Malaysia marine head Monique Sumampouw said that the Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles are totally protected under Schedule 1 of Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 of Sabah.

“It is important for all stakeholders to ensure the survival of Sabah’s marine turtle population, including the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle.

“Found either nesting, seeking food or migrating along the coasts and waters of Sabah, these marine turtles are threatened by various human threats, particularly egg and turtle poaching,” Sumampouw said yesterday.

She said that the Green Turtles help in maintaining seagrass beds while Hawksbill Turtles help to maintain coral reefs.

“When Green Turtles graze on seagrass or Hawksbill Turtles forage for sponges among coral reefs, they increase the productivity of these habitats.

“Commercially important species such as shrimp, lobster, and fish thrive in healthier and productive seagrass beds and coral reefs, which are known to be important breeding and nursery areas for many species of fish and other marine life,” she said.

Marine turtles contribute to healthier habitats which in turn contribute to better marine harvests, which then benefit the fishery industry, she said, adding that for a turtle population to be maintained, every turtle egg should be saved.

It is important for all stakeholders to ensure the survival of Sabah’s marine turtle population, including the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle. Monique Sumampouw