04/07/2005 – Following
the deaths of some 140 marine turtles drowned
in nets off Indonesia's Panjang Island, WWF
and The Nature Conservancy are calling for
the establishment of a marine protected area
in the waters north-west of Borneo.
Deliberately targeted for their high-market
value, 170 turtles were found entangled and
drowned in nets. Of the 144 that died, 141
were green turtles and 3 were hawksbills.
Of the seven marine species, six, including
green and hawksbills turtles, are critically
endangered.
A turtle conservation enforcement team, together
with local authorities and WWF staff, managed
to untangle 14 green turtles and 2 hawksbill
turtles that were still alive and released
them back to the sea. Although authorities
are still trying to apprehend the fishermen
engaged in this illegal fishing practice,
the dead turtles and nets were taken to nearby
Derawan Island as evidence to be used in the
criminal investigation.
“To protect turtles we need a twin-pronged
approach that deals with overexploitation
and catch in fisheries nets,” said Rili Djohani,
The Nature Conservancy's Country Director
in Indoensia.
"More resources are needed to help law
enforcement agencies tackle this illegal trade."
Some of the turtles found in the nets had
tracking tags, which were attached in the
Philippines and Malaysia.
"Special zoning procedures to manage
boats within protected areas will be needed,"
said Dr Mubariq Ahmad, Executive Director
of WWF-Indonesia.
“Panjang Island is an important feeding ground
for turtles, with many travelling from far
distances."
Any future protected area will have to include
the cooperation of neighbouring countries
Malaysia and the Philippines, which together
with Indonesia, form the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine
Ecoregion.
Covering an area of around 950,000km2, the
Sulu-Sulawesi Ecoregion ecoregion is of enormous
ecological and economical importance, featuring
productive ecosystems such as coral reefs,
seagrass beds, and mangrove forests. Its marine
biodiversity includes more than 400 species
of corals, 650 species of reef fish, endangered
marine mammals such as the dugong, whales
and dolphins, and six of the world's seven
species of marine turtles.
