100 sea turtles for release

Kota Kinabalu: Kudat Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS) will be releasing some 100 sea turtle hatchlings at Kampung Bavang Jamal at 6.30pm on July 1 this year.

Its chairperson, Sofia Johari, said slides and video presentations would be screened at the Bavang Jamal KTCS Education Centre around 5pm prior to the release.

“This time, an estimated 100 hatchlings will be released from one nest,” she said. Since 2012, Sofia said KTCS has released around 4,500 hatchlings.

“The rate of hatching is 85 per cent on average for each nest,” she added.

The public are welcome to witness the release of the sea turtle hatchlings.

Conversation fee will be collected for the maintenance of KTCS turtle hatchery – RM 5 per adult or RM 3 for children or students.

Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang, who is also Tanjong Kapor Assemblyman, praised KTCS for their effort in conserving and improving sea turtle populations.

Founded by Roland Agansai and Francesca Winfield in 2011, KTCS is working with other stakeholders in Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) to conserve and improve sea turtle populations in the park, the largest marine park in Malaysia and one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

The society is also working with other local community based organisations (CBOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), resorts, tour operators, universities, district authorities and enforcement agencies in mainstreaming turtle conservation-related events and activities in Kudat, therefore supporting the management of natural resources in TMP that is being led by Sabah Parks.

The long-term objective of KTCS is to establish 50 community managed turtle conservation areas within the Park, and to promote turtle conservation-based tourism within this area.

KTCS is working on increasing the involvement of coastal communities in environmental conservation programmes. These programmes include capacity building in turtle hatchery and conservation management, sustainable livelihood programmes such as eco-tourism, coral planting, eco-farming, waste management and conducting environmental awareness programs.

For more information about KTCS, visit www.ktcsborneo.com.

Source: Daily Express