W W F "E G G = L I F E" C 4 M P A ! G N

Hawksbill turtles in Melaka

April 21st, 2009 | Published in Conservation

Melaka’s shores are home to the largest nesting population of hawksbill turtles in Peninsular Malaysia, with an average of 350 to 400 nests recorded annually. The peak nesting season is between April to September. The hawksbill turtle is regarded by many as the most beautiful of all marine turtles, due to the striking pattern of its shell.

The Melaka coastline from Kuala Linggi to Tanjung Kling was once important nesting areas; however most of the natural nesting habitats have disappeared due to uncontrolled development and land reclamation. Presently there are only a few short stretches of beach where turtles come ashore to nest such as Kem Terendak, Padang Kemunting, Tanjung Dahan and Tanjung Serai. Studies in recent years has shown that Pulau Upeh has the highest number of turtle landings in Melaka.However the suitability of Pulau Upeh as a nesting site is now compromised due to large scale coastal reclamation projects adjacent to the nesting beach and erosion which causes nests to become flooded during high tide.

WWF-Malaysia is working to protect and manage the hawksbill turtle population in Melaka at all stages of their life cycle through various long-term, sustainable approaches with the government, local communities, and other stakeholders, which include:
1) Protection of hawksbill nesting habitats
2) Protection of eggs and reduction of illegal trade of turtle eggs as well as better management of hatcheries
3) Usage of satellite tracking and tagging to track the hawkbills’ migration routes and feeding grounds to better understand their movements to enhance turtle protection efforts locally as well as regionally
4) Raise the awareness of local communities whose lives are interlinked with the hawksbills and engage their participation towards protection of this species through the theme “Turtles returning to My Village” (Penyu Balik ke Kampung Halamanku).

These conservation efforts will simultaneously also help to protect the habitats and nesting grounds of the Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis), a critically endangered estuarine turtle also found in the area.

Project Team
The Melaka Turtle Conservation Project team comprises of:
Lau Min Min, Team Leader
Arvind Devadasan, Field Biologist
Grace Siromani Duraisingham, Field Biologist
Traci Ann Tay Sze Yee, Community Education and Awareness Officer

- http://www.saveturtles.my/ -