Development
of Management,
Research & Education programmes at the
World’s first Trans-Boundary Marine Park between Sabah, Malaysia and the Philippines.
PRINCIPAL
PARTICIPANTS
Sabah Parks, Malaysia
Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Department of Environment and Natural Resources,
Philippines
Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas, Philippines
Introduction and Review
Marine turtles are endangered to the point of possible
worldwide extinction.
With the current destruction of many of their nesting and
foraging habitats, it has become imperative that further conservation measures be taken,
and adequate legislation adopted, if the turtles are to survive even the next century.
The Turtle Islands Park in Sabah, Malaysia and the immediately adjacent Philippine
islands host some of Southeast Asia's most important foraging and nesting turtle
populations, and together stand to play a key role in supporting the species' continued
survival and well-being in the region. The State of Sabah, through the Sabah Parks Board
of Trustees, has entered into bilateral conservation and management agreement with the
neighboring Philippines to establish a
Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA) encompassing the islands where large numbers of turtles have been found to
nest.
The Park will also extend to the outer edges of the fringing
coral reefs around the islands, and will include the waters within the reaches of these
reefs and islands. The protection of the expanse of waters and the numerous nesting
beaches is expected to limit turtle mortality and enhance their chances of survival. This
extensive coverage shall protect not only the marine turtles, but also the coral reefs,
the seagrass beds and other marine ecosystems, the islands and their inhabitants. The
TIHPA will be jointly administered by Sabah Parks and Department of Environment and
Natural Resources of the Philippines with technical assistance from the Institute of
Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation at the University Malaysia Sarawak.
In this case, the TIHPA will represent the first of its kind
in the world, taking conservation across international boundaries in the interests of
conservation, in an entirely marine context. In support of the joint conservation
strategy, recent genetic studies conducted through the University of
Queensland, Australia
have linked the Sabah nesting turtles directly with those of the Philippines, and
indirectly with other SE Asian nesting groups.
At the same time, the coral reefs that surround the islands
host a myriad species of fishes and invertebrates, and act as nursery areas for many of
the commercial fisheries located nearby. The location of the islands, close to the
thriving Malaysian markets but afar from the major Philippine ports, presents a unique
management challenge to satisfy the inhabitants of the islands while at the same time
conserving the marine resources.
This project addresses four crucial areas for the Turtle
Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA) to function effectively and
sustainably: (1)
operationalize the Joint Management Committee; (2) develop a long term joint management
plan; (3) conduct joint management-oriented research; and (4) formulate a sustainable
financing mechanism.
The development of a management strategy for the TIHPA is expected to serve as a
model for future trans-boundary marine parks around the world. With it’s broad
spectrum of coverage, from socio-economic development of the villages to wildlife and
environment conservation based on scientific principles, the management plan will be
developed for the TIHPA to ensure equitable use of natural resources and the conservation
of marine biodiversity.
Issues regarding Turtle Conservation
Since the late 1950s, when Archie Carr pioneered the concept
of turtle conservation, and through to modern times, the science and philosophy of turtle
conservation have developed enormously. Several factors have made the conservation of
these relics of prehistoric days unique and highly specialised:
Longevity. Marine turtles
are estimated to live long lives, even up to 100 years. They are known to reach sexual
maturity only after 15 to 40 years depending on species, presenting unique management
requirements: Turtle hatchlings emerging today might only return to nest after 20 to 30
years, by which time few, if any, of our present scientists and managers will be following
their progress. Additionally, their long absence from known feeding or foraging sites
masks any changes to population sizes (see Fig. 1)
Fig. 1: In a hypothetical case, if 100% of turtles were
harvested before laying eggs, there would reach a point at which no further breeding
females would be available. However, this would not become apparent for another 25 years.
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Egg Collection. Numerous coastal villagers consume turtle eggs as a regular
component of their diet. In villages where the primary protein source is derived from
fish, turtle eggs provided a welcome change. However, with the advent of refrigeration to
store the eggs, and power boats to transport them to distant markets, the pressures on the
turtle populations have increased dramatically.
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Entrapment in Fishing Gear.
Similarly, with the development of commercial fisheries in many
tropical seas, turtles have come under severe pressure due to entrapment in trawl and
drift nets. Recently, even the Government of Malaysia was informed by foreign envoys that
overseas fishery markets might dry up if measures were not taken to ensure the protection
of turtles during shrimp trawling operations.
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Habitat Destruction.
Marine turtles utilise a number of habitats, such as coral reefs for
Hawksbill feeding grounds, seagrass beds as Green turtle feeding grounds, sandy beaches
for nesting and open seas as migratory avenues. With the development of the tourism
industry, many coastal habitats including beaches and coral reefs, have been degraded.
Seagrass beds are damaged by fishing trawlers, and the high seas are littered with debris
and deadly drift nets.
Location of
the TIHPA
Nine islands make up the proposed turtle islands
heritage protected area. Three islands, namely Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan
designated by Malaysia; and Boaan, Langaan, Great Bakkungaan, Lihiman, Taganak and Baguan
designated by the Philippines (Fig. 2).Nine islands make up the proposed turtle islands
heritage protected area. Three islands, namely Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan
designated by Malaysia; and Boaan, Langaan, Great Bakkungaan, Lihiman, Taganak and Baguan
designated by the Philippines (Fig. 2).
Fig.2: Approximate location and demarcation
of the Malaysia-Philippines TIHPA.
Turtle
Conservation in East Malaysia
The state of Sabah plays host to several important
marine turtle populations, and has taken an active role in their conservation with the
establishment of the Turtle Islands Park and the enactment of legislation to curb illegal
egg poaching. The legislation has ensured the protection of turtles at their nesting
beaches, and the hatchery programs that are carried out on each of the three islands have
been extremely successful to date providing an impressive volume of data on turtle eggs
and survival.
Sabah has operated egg hatcheries since 1966 on these three primary turtle
rookeries, which have released millions of hatchlings to the wild after being incubated
under controlled conditions. Despite occasional criticisms regarding the techniques
employed at these hatcheries, it is important to note that the State has invested heavily
in terms of time, labor, finances and dedication to the conservation of these endangered
animals over the last three decades.
However, notwithstanding the encouraging efforts displayed by the State
authorities, and the current indications that numbers of turtles visiting the three
islands has risen slightly in the last decade, adult turtle populations and nesting
frequencies in the region continue to decline. Many of the turtles fail to return years
after being tagged, which is a clear indication that they are being lost to other
[possibly nearby] pressures. The decline results in a loss of a touristic attraction with
its own share of revenue for the State, and also in the loss of some of the ocean's oldest
surviving reptiles and important members of the marine community.
Nesting in Sabah occurs primarily on the three islands of the Turtle Islands Park,
namely Pulau Selingan, P. Bakungan Kecil and P. Gulisan, and on P. Sipadan, Sabah's
oceanic SCUBA diving resort island. Three species of turtle nest on the State's islands
and beaches, the green Chelonia mydas, the Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata
and the Olive Ridley Lepidochelys olivacea. The green turtle is the most abundant,
whereas the Olive Ridley is only infrequently found nesting on the beaches.
The turtles have become one of the State's major tourist attractions, and centers
have been established to provide tourists with close-up experiences with nesting females.
Much of the efforts on the part of the Park rangers and guides is aimed at the
translocation of the eggs from fresh nests back to the hatcheries, where tourists can see
conservation efforts in action. Additionally, adult turtle tagging is practiced for new
sightings, and carapace measurements are taken for new and resighted individuals.
The limitations on data collection restricts the analysis of
population morphometrics, and modeling of population structure and dynamics. Nesting
patterns for individuals, both short and long-term, are almost impossible to predict due
to the limitations on data retrieval. In an effort to determine more closely the fate of
the adult populations and egg development, it is becoming more and more necessary to study
the nesting patterns and frequency along with adult population dynamics.
This can only be accomplished by extending the data collection to include
additional morphometric measurements and nesting parameters. Additionally, this data needs
to be computerised and analyzed for predictions and population modeling
In comparison, the large volume of data generated by the hatcheries on egg survival
statistics and hatchling releases is extremely organised. In order to determine the
overall efficiency of these hatchery operations, it is necessary to investigate the manner
in which natural nest conditions are reproduced under artificial circumstances within the
Park hatcheries. The manner in which hatchling release programmes are carried out will
determine the initial survival of the hatchlings, and further investigations are currently
needed to ensure the optimum management strategies. The updating of available information
into computer databases would help resolve the difficulty of access to the current data.
Turtle Conservation in the Philippines
Nesting on the Philippine islands adjacent to those of
Turtle Islands Park in Sabah mirrors in a large way that of the Sabah nesting. However,
little data is available at the moment (also due to lack of computerisation) on current
trends. The Philippine islands, unlike those on the Malaysian side, are inhabited by
fishing communities who currently rely on the sale of turtle eggs as a significant portion
of their income. At present, the balance that has been struck between conservation
officers and the islanders lies at 30% for conservation and 70% for local consumption or
sale (one of the long-term aims of this project is to alter this ratio to benefit the
turtles). Marine turtle conservation in these islands follows the procedures outlined in
the Manual on Marine Turtle and Dugong Conservation in the Philippines prepared by the
Pawikan Conservation Project of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau within the
Department of Environment and Natural resources.
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