Fisheries Dept urged to explore methods to prevent turtle deaths

DUNGUN: The state Fisheries Department should look into other ways of preventing turtle deaths besides enforcing the ban against illegal fishing nets.

Citing recent studies carried out by Exeter University in Britain, Lang Tengah Turtle Watch co-foun­der Raphe van Zevenbergen said using green LED lights could help reduce the number of deaths.

“Their studies show that turtle by-catch can be reduced by over 60% – without affecting the amount of fish harvested – by using green LED lights that cost only US$2 (RM8) each,” he said, adding that adult turtles were scared of bright lights.

The study conducted off the coast of Peru also saw some of the same turtle species in Terengganu such as the green and the hawksbill.

Trapped turtles, said van Zeven­ber­gen, were actually a major inconvenience for fishermen as they damage the nets.

Furthermore, fishermen did not want turtle meat.

According to the department, there were 30 reported turtle deaths between January and April alone.

With months to go before the end of the nesting season, authorities and conservationists are afraid that the number of deaths may be higher this year.

In 2014, 47 animals were reported to have died while in 2015, there were 59 recorded deaths.

The deaths are mainly due to drowning after being trapped in fishing nets – known locally as pukat pari – used to catch stingray. Nets with mesh size of 25cm and above are banned.

WWF-Malaysia senior marine conservation officer Sharifah Ruqaiyah Syed Mustafa said fishermen could practise the seasonal placing of their nets.

“Maybe they don’t put the nets early in the year when it’s the nesting season for the turtles,” she said.

Other methods include the Turtle Excluder Device, which allows the marine animals to escape from shrimp trawl nets through an escape hatch.