KOTA KINABALU: Despite efforts to save turtles, the endangered species are still under threat, even within protected marine parks in the state, in particular the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) near here.
Marine biologist Scott Mayback said the threats come in various forms, including heavy boat activities, marine debris, fish bombings, and ghost nets.
“(The ghost net) is a major concern. People are still using it to catch fish, even within a protected marine park.
“Each year, we will find a few dead turtles in the marine parks. This year so far, there are two discoveries,” he told New Straits Times.
Mayback, who oversees a turtle rescue centre at Gaya Island Resort, said round-the-clock enforcement is needed to ensure marine life stay protected from threats caused by human activities.
He also stressed on the need to reduce marine debris and limiting boat use in certain areas, especially those covered with seagrass, a major component of turtles’ diets.
The protected TARP covers five islands namely Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik, Sulug, and Gaya. The heavily tourist-populated islands are Sapi, Manukan, and Mamutik, while Gaya is the only inhabited island with a 5-star luxury resort.
The presence of marine debris and fishing nets, trapping corals and marine life, in these conservation zones is not uncommon.
Recently, a diver stumbled upon a dead hawksbill sea turtle tangled in fishing net while leisure diving at one of the diving spots within the protected TARP. Another diver found a bamboo shark trapped in the nets.
Over the years, the diving fraternity have taken their own initiatives to remove fishing nets underwater.
Last month, Sabah Parks divers fished out 72kg of ghost nets from the Manggaris dive site near Pulau Gaya and Coral Garden site near Pulau Sapi during a clean-up effort.
Sabah Parks Board of Trustees' chairman Mohd Amin Abdul Mem had said most of the ghost nets – fishing nets that have been left or lost in the ocean by fishermen – had drifted into the park area and became entangled in the coral reefs.
He noted that Sabah Parks had received many complaints on the presence of ghost nets, stressing they would take immediate action to address the concern.