KEMAMAN: Over 22,000 local and overseas visitors flocked to Terengganu last year to get a better grasp of the turtle habitat in the east coast peninsula state.
Terengganu Fisheries Department’s management and resource preservation branch head Rusman Rusdy said that 400 of the visitors were foreigners, mainly from Europe, who went to the beach hatcheries.
“The large number of visitors is the result of our continuing educational and awareness programme at our turtle rehabilitation nurseries in the state.
“The local visitors were mainly varsity students carrying out research for their studies and those from non-governmental organisations,” he said.
Rusman added that last year nine volunteers from Japan took part in the turtle rehabilitation programme.
Also, there were 47 seasonal workers hired to retrieve and bury turtle eggs for hatching and take care of the habitat.