FMT LETTER: From S M Mohd Idris, via e-mail
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is extremely distressed to learn that a turtle landing site along the coast from Pasir Panjang, Segari to the Tanjung Hantu Forest Reserve in the state of Perak is critically threatened from two up-coming industrial projects.
These two projects, a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant covering 60 hectares and another iron and steel plant covering an area of 202.35 hectares in the area, have been approved by the Perak State Government.
This has raised the concerns of SAM, as the location/project area is zoned under the Pasir Panjang – Teluk Senangin Tourism Development Zone due to its scenic surroundings of undisturbed beach, coastal hill forest, and a turtle-landing site.
Furthermore, the proposed industrial sites contradict the National Physical Plan (NPP), since the areas in and around Tanjung Hantu are categorised as Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Rank 1 and 2. These are protected areas where no development is allowed, except for low impact nature tourism.
The turtles that make their way to the coastal shores of Segari are the critically endangered green turtles (Chelonia Mydas). The largest of all the hard-shelled sea turtles with a comparatively small head, they are unique among sea turtles in that they are herbivorous, feeding primarily on sea grasses and algae. The green turtle is globally distributed and are thought to inhabit coastal areas of more than 140 countries.
Faced with numerous threats, the principal cause of their worldwide decline is the long-term harvest of eggs and adults on nesting beaches, and juveniles and adults on feeding grounds. These harvests continue in some areas of the world and compromise efforts to recover this species. Incidental capture in fishing gear, primarily in gillnets, trawls, longlines, and dredges is a serious ongoing source of mortality that also adversely affects the species’ recovery.
Globally green turtles are afforded protection under a number of treaties and laws. The more relevant designations being the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Appendices I and II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). The other agreements include:
- the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles
- the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA)
- the Memorandum of Understanding on Asean Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection
- the Memorandum of Agreement on the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA); and
- the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Conservation Measures for Marine Turtles of the Atlantic Coast of Africa
The laws and treaties have resulted in lessening of the many intentional impacts directed at sea turtles. Decline in the harvesting of eggs and adults at several nesting areas through nesting beach conservation efforts and an increasing number of community-based initiatives are in place to slow the take of turtles in foraging areas.
It is a known fact that Malaysia is a signatory to CITES, IOSEA and TIHPA. The approved projects near the coastal and marine habitats in Tanjung Hantu on this environmentally sensitive area threatens to destroy the supporting ecosystems of long-lived green turtles.
Despite highlighting the impacts brought on by the two projects, the Perak state government is adamant in turning the area into an industrial site without proper consideration regarding the serious implications on the environment, turtles, and the fishing industry.
SAM reiterates its call to the Perak state government to conserve the Pasir Panjang coast and the surrounding areas, especially HS Tanjung Hantu and HS Segari Melintang as a natural nature site for turtle landings and forest reserve.
The writer is president of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
