KUCHING: A new turtle hatchery in Kampung Pugu, Lundu, marks a step forward for marine conservation in Sarawak, says Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
The state Deputy Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister said the establishment of the hatchery reflects a growing collaboration between the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and the local community, after turtles were regularly spotted nesting along the beach in the area.
“They contacted SFC on how to work together to conserve the turtles.
“As a result, we now have a hatchery here for incubating turtle eggs,” he told reporters after launching the site on Thursday evening.
A total of 538 green turtle hatchlings were released into the sea during the event.
Len Talif said a community-based approach was vital for effective conservation, combining the villagers’ local knowledge with technical expertise from the relevant government agencies.
He added that local volunteers and community rangers will be given training in conservation and tourism management to protect the turtles.
“We don’t want the area to be overburdened with too many people, as overtourism can jeopardise turtle landings.
“This is why we are training villagers in Kampung Pugu to regulate visitor arrivals.”
Len Talif also said that research would be carried out to better understand the environmental factors influencing turtle landings in Lundu, while also assisting conservation efforts.
“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 added.
Len Talif said previous tagging of turtles by SFC showed that they moved along the Borneo coast up to the Philippines, but only come ashore at certain beaches.
“The local community is very fortunate that the turtles chose Kampung Pugu as a nesting beach,” he added.
