‘Turtle Lady’ receives lifetime achievement award

Conservation champion: Chan still maintains an active lifestyle in caring for the environment, including marine life.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s very own “Turtle Lady”, Prof Chan Eng Heng, has been honoured yet again, this time with a lifetime achievement award from the International Sea Turtle Society (ISTS).

The award is given each year to honour individuals who have made a significant impact on sea turtle biology and conservation through the course of their career.

Chan, 70, was nominated for the award by Dr Andrea Phillott of India’s FLAME University, and Long Seh Ling, a doctoral candidate from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).

Chan co-founded the Sea Turtle Research Unit (Seatru) in 1985 and led the unit from 2003 until her retirement from UMT in 2009.

Currently president of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (turtleconservationsociety.org.my), she started working on leatherback turtles in Terengganu’s Rantau Abang in the early 1980s.

Her research findings formed much of the basis for numerous conservation measures undertaken by Terengganu.

She was an appointed member of the Terengganu Turtle Sanctuary Advisory Council. She served in the council until her retirement.

Chan highlighted the dramatic decline of leatherback turtles in Rantau Abang to conservation authorities, resulting in numerous measures to increase protection of the species and its habitat.

Terengganu’s Turtle Enactment 1951 was amended in 1987 to allow for the setting up of the Rantau Abang Turtle Sanctuary, and later in 1989, to ban the sale of leatherback turtle eggs in the state.

Chan also conducted studies on incidental captures of sea turtles in fishing equipment, which led to Terengganu banning ray nets (pukat pari) in 1990.

Her work on the radio tracking of leatherbacks led to the establishment of the Fisheries Protected Area in Rantau Abang in 1991 to protect leatherbacks in the waters during the nesting period.

Chan’s studies on how temperature affected the sex ratio of leatherback hatchlings also led to practical changes in the incubation of eggs, with eggs now placed in cooler areas to obtain a higher ratio of male hatchlings.

Chan also worked on projects involving hawksbill and green turtles that nested in Redang Island, resulting in the setting up of the first in-situ egg protection programme in Malaysia for sea turtles.

This ongoing programme is undoubtedly responsible for the population recovery of green turtles in Redang by purchasing turtle eggs from licensed eggs collectors for incubation.

At the same time, Chan lobbied to turn nesting beaches in Redang into sanctuaries and pushed for a ban on commercial egg collection.

After 12 years, Terengganu gave its approval, with all important nesting beaches in Redang as well as other parts of Terengganu gazetted as turtle sanctuaries beginning 2006.

Other than being published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, Chan has also supervised numerous undergraduate and post-graduate students, a notable one being Dr Chen Pelf Nyok, a former student who is a now executive director for the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia.

Her outreach efforts included educating children. She ran annual turtle camps for the children of Redang from 1995 until 2008.

These camps aimed to pass on the message that everyone needed to stop eating turtle eggs, a somewhat popular practice in Kelantan and Terengganu.

In relation to this, she has published two children’s books, a colouring book and another titled Little Turtle Messenger.

Chen, who was among those who endorsed Chan’s nomination for the ISTS award, said: “She is a role model to many younger researchers and conservationists, with her dedication to turtle conservation remaining an inspiration to many.”

Commenting on the award, Chan said: “This was totally unexpected as this is considered the ultimate award in the field of turtle conservation. I feel extremely honoured.”

It seems that the “Turtle Lady” is equally adept at doing good on land and at sea.

Even in retirement, Chan remains active in greening efforts, currently by facilitating urban farming among Klang Valley dwellers.

Her home in Kuala Lumpur receives a steady stream of visitors who often come to get plants from her, as well as to exchange tips on gardening.