KUALA TERENGGANU – The carcass of a female green turtle with slash marks was found floating in the waters of Pulau Kapas, believed to have been killed by an irresponsible individual who stole its eggs.
Kapas Conservation Society secretary Mohd Farith Rezza Isa in a statement today said the carcass was found by a resort operator on the island at 2.50pm today.
“During our initial inspection, we found two slash marks – on the neck and lower part of the body.
“However, its internal organs were in good condition, with no sign of swelling. There is also no crack in the upper carapace.
“This strengthens our belief that the turtle’s death was recent.”
After discussing with turtle researchers from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Farith Rezza said the society believes that the cause of death is due to the taking away of the turtle’s eggs through the method of killing and splitting its stomach.
“We do not dismiss the possibility that this cruel act was committed by foreign fishermen. However, if this is so, why was the turtle’s carcass discarded when some of its other parts still have commercial value?
“This is very worrying as turtle egg theft has reached the point of killing the mother turtle. The authorities need to issue a warning to all turtle conservation volunteers and call on the public to report any suspicious activity on the beach.”
He said the discovery of the carcass was reported to the state Fisheries Department, adding that stern action by the authorities should be taken and an investigation paper opened so that the incident will not recur. – Bernama, May 26, 2021
