KUCHING: Sarawak will conduct in-depth research on turtle landings in Lundu to assist conservation efforts, says state Deputy Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
He said it was important to understand the life cycle and environment of the turtles, which could affect landing patterns.
"Factors such as temperature, humidity and salinity could determine where and when the turtles land.
"One potential research topic is how do we control the environment in such a way that they will land. We have to understand the ideal factors," he told reporters after launching a turtle hatchery site at Kampung Pugu in Lundu near here on Thursday (April 30) evening.
Len Talif said previous tagging of turtles by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) showed that they moved along the Borneo coast up to the Philippines, but only landed at certain beaches.
"The local community is very fortunate that the turtles chose Kampung Pugu as a nesting beach," he said.
The new hatchery is a community-based effort by SFC and the local community to preserve the green turtles landing at Kampung Pugu.
During the launch, 538 hatchlings were released into the sea.
Len Talif said local volunteers and community rangers would receive training in conservation and tourism management to protect the turtles.
"We don't want the area to be overburdened by too many people, as overtourism can jeopardise the turtle landings.
"This is why we are training the villagers at Kampung Pugu to regulate visitor arrivals," he said.
