KUALA LUMPUR: A long-held belief is slowly but surely driving the tourist-drawing turtles to extinction in Malaysia, according to marine biologist Dr Juanita Joseph.
Dr Juanita, who is with the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, said it was the belief that consuming turtle eggs cured one of asthma and impotence.
“This is just a belief and it has yet to be scientifically proven,” she told Bernama.
Dr Juanita said it was difficult to get people to discard the belief and perception they had inherited for ages.
However, such a belief would remain a threat to the existence of the turtles, she added.
Dr Juanita was responding to a question regarding the senseless killing of a Green Turtle, with tens of its immature eggs scattered all over, at a leased turtle nesting area of the Kijal beach last week.
She said the habit of eating turtle eggs could be hazardous to health as it could lead to kidney disorders and impact the growth of the foetus.
Turtles, which were reptiles, came ashore to lay their eggs and human beings took advantage of this to seize the eggs, she said.
On the average, a turtle was capable of laying eggs five times in a year during a nesting period, she said.
Research had shown that some turtles could lay eggs as many as 12 times in a year, and they usually laid up to 100 eggs each time, she said.
Dr Juanita said turtles laid many eggs because of the large number of turtle egg predators, and data showed that only one in every 100 turtle eggs developed into an adult turtle.
“Ants and crabs are the major predators. Even a baby turtle is prone to becoming a victim of fishes and birds,” she said.
Dr Juanita suggested the introduction of legislation in peninsular Malaysia banning the sale of turtle eggs, as was done in Sabah and Sarawak.
She said it was not enough just banning the sale and consumption of turtle eggs so long as the awareness among the people on the importance of the eco-system was still at a low level.
– BERNAMA