LABUAN: Kampung Tanjung Aru beach here is becoming a favourite spot for turtle landing, following the discovery of two live endangered green turtles recently.
Labuan Fisheries Department director Faizal Ibrahim Suhaili said fewer human activities taking place on the beach is one of the factors that has led to turtles landing on the beach.
“Late last month an angler discovered a stranded green turtle at the beach and released it to the sea.
“Last week a villager rescued another green turtle at the same beach, we believe the turtles were searching for the right spot to lay their eggs around the beach,” he told Bernama today.
Faizal Ibrahim said his department officers would be monitoring the area if turtles nest or lay eggs at the beach.
He said villagers around the area must work together to ensure the threatened species continue to land on Tanjung Aru’s shores.
“To ensure turtles come ashore, we need to step up our efforts in educating the people, especially the coastal communities…we must work together to rescue and rehabilitate green turtles and release them back into the sea,” Faizal Ibrahim said.
He appealed to the public not to throw garbage in the ocean in an effort to reduce the chance of green turtles getting injured from eating the discarded rubbish. – BERNAMA
