‘Stop consuming turtle eggs’

‘Stop consuming turtle eggs’

Date: 27th June 2020
By: Fatimah Zainal
Source: The Star

PETALING JAYA: While the current peak nesting season is seeing a rise in turtle eggs, conservation groups are urging Malaysians to take a pledge to stop putting turtle eggs on their plates.

The “Pledge: Tak Nak Telur Penyu” rolled out by the Society for Conservation Biology – Malaysia Chapter seeks to encourage Malaysians to say no to sea turtle egg consumption.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s Sea Turtle Research Unit (Seatru) team leader Dr Mohd Uzair Rusli said while the federal and state governments were urged to prioritise turtle conservation, the Malaysian public must also play its part.

He said turtle eggs were consumed in the past as a source of protein for coastal communities in Malaysia as they lacked access to alternative sources, but this was no longer necessary.

“This was happening in the 1960s, for example, where the population was just 10 million people and nesting numbers were much higher.

“But in 2020, we have a population of 32 million but nesting numbers are decreasing and unstable.

“That’s why we want people to stop the consumption of turtle eggs because the nesting numbers are fluctuating between 2,000 and 4,000 per year in Terengganu,” he said.

The sale and consumption of eggs for all species of turtles are banned in Sabah and Sarawak but in Terengganu, only the sale of leatherback turtle eggs are prohibited under the Terengganu Turtle Enactment 1951 (Amendment 1987).

Terengganu Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Dr Azman Ibrahim previously said that the state government would be amending this law.

Uzair said this process had been delayed due to the movement control order (MCO) and while waiting for the amendment to take place, turtle conservation groups wanted to continue raising awareness.

In the east coast states, people had been peddling turtle eggs online even during the early stages of the MCO, which started on March 18, with some sellers brazenly using online platforms to trade, he said.

“I just want to encourage everyone to sign the pledge and share it, a majority of people are concerned about the environment but they stay silent.

“But now let’s voice out and stop the trade and consumption of turtle eggs,” he said.

In encouraging Malaysians to learn about the threats sea turtles faced, Juara Turtle Project said many of the threats sea turtles face were from anthropogenic or human-caused sources.

“Sea turtles suffer from a variety of injuries, including marine debris ingestion or entanglement, and unintentional boat strikes.

“Additionally, sea turtle populations still remain at risk of being harmed by the illicit take and trade of sea turtles and their eggs,” said the group in a statement.

The wide variety of threats that sea turtles faced, both in the ocean and on land, had diminished the population of sea turtles over time, thus requiring every sea turtle species to be protected, it said.

Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia co-founder Dr Chen Pelf Nyok said that while awareness levels had increased, more must be done to stop the sale and consumption of turtle eggs.

“The awareness level is certainly increasing, especially during the MCO period, because we consume so much info online and globally, turtle conservation groups have turned to social media to spread more awareness,” she said.

The pledge was an effort by turtle conservation groups to keep the conversation about turtle egg consumption going among Malaysians, said Chen.

13 years on, efforts to save Terengganu turtles continue for Pelf Nyok, Yuan Ying

13 years on, efforts to save Terengganu turtles continue for Pelf Nyok, Yuan Ying

Date: 4th September 2017
By: Adrian David
Source: New Straits Times

KUALA TERENGGANU: Each year, thousands of turtle eggs are saved, while its hatchlings make it into the Terengganu’s rivers.

All these was possible through the efforts of women like Chen Pelf Nyok and Tan Yuan Ying from the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia.

Pelf Nyok, the co-founder of the society, said the public too can help out by initiating greater awareness and take part in conservation efforts to preserve the existence of the terrapins.

She said the society’s 13 years of concerted efforts, campaigns, research, conservation, education and eco-tourism in Terengganu were begining to bear fruit.

“Between 2011 and last year, we saved 2,491 turtle eggs and released 1,302 hatchlings into the Setiu River. Between 2004 and 2014, we saved another 3,754 eggs and released 2,401 hatchlings into the Kemaman River.

“During this 13-year period, we have organised 40 turtle camps in the state which benefitted at least 2,000 students, mainly from local universities.

“We also organised various awareness programmes like the annual Raptor Watch, wildlife exhibitions, World Turtle Day celebrations and annual terrapin releases in Setiu and Kemaman,” she said.

The preservation efforts of terrapins received greater awareness through Pelf Nyok and society volunteer Yuan Ying when they showcased their concerns during the Terengganu Peranakan Festival recently.

On Sept 30, she said the society will undertake the annual terrapin release from its 440 three-month-old river terrapins hatchery, into Sungai Kemaman.

“The society is now actively involved in the ‘Turtle Discovery Trip’, where participants are taken on a journey to learn about the turtles and terrapins of Malaysia.

“They can get up close with these critically endangered turtles through the programme that started in 2012.

“So far, we have conducted 39 trips and taken more than 600 guests, including school groups,” she said.

Yuan Ying, who is Yayasan AFS Antarabangsa Malaysia Terengganu Chapter vice-president II, also does freelance linguistics and customer services.

She joined the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia as a volunteer in 2011.

To help save the terrapins, Yuan Ying advised the public to avoid purchasing or consuming turtle eggs, disturbing the turtles at sea or beaches and buying souvenirs made from turtle shells.

“Additionally, you can help conserve turtles by not dumping plastic bags into the sea or at beaches; adopting a terrapin or turtle; and volunteering in conservation efforts.” said Yuan Ying.

Love is all we need

Love is all we need

Date: 1st January 2017
By: Elena Koshy
Source: New Straits Times

Old chapters are closing, new ones are unfolding, and with them come much hope for the local environmental landscape, writes Elena Koshy.

WHO doesn’t love a good story? We have a long history of narrative — the ancient days where the only way to share knowledge was through words, from person to person, generation to generation. We’re fundamentally hard-wired for stories — they’re how we record both the monumental events of life and the small everyday moments which are no less significant. The year 2016 has been full of stories where our natural heritage is concerned. Happy endings that make us want to believe there’s hope for our dwindling environment, sad endings that make us think that we’re fighting an insurmountable battle to protect our forests, oceans and wildlife, and adventures that make us long to leave the comfort of our armchair and venture out, seeking our own adventures in the wild.

River Terrapin. Picture by P.N. Chen/TCS.

Through these pages, you’ve read about the depletion of our forests and how our iconic wildlife including rhinoceroses, elephants, tigers, sun bears and hornbills are slowly fading away from this grand story we call life. You’ve also come to know the people who are relentless in trying to rewrite the endings of our natural landscape and these amazing creatures in hopes their survival is ensured and their stories will not be written off the chapters completely and out of this fragile planet we call home. On the right are three story changers who are constantly rewriting chapters and adding pages in hopes that our precious environmental heritage lives on. These are their insights on the year that was and their hopes for 2017 and beyond.

Belum-Temengor: Home to Malaysia’s wildlife that’s shrinking rapidly. Picture by K.H. Khoo/MNS.

Stories make us remember. It was Rudyard Kipling who said: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” So yes, we’ll continue to have stories for you. And because every great love starts with a good story, we hope you’ll discover love under a firefly-lit sky along the river, beneath the lush verdant cover of the forest or within the depths of the magical underwater world beneath our blue seas. Sometimes love is all we need to save what we can’t live without — Nature. As always, the year-end demands a retrospective look at our own stories and each New Year that beckons speak of the possibility of changing the plot or starting a new chapter. It’s our hope that you will find the motivation you need through our stories, to make changes on your own, and ultimately for the nation.

TAN SRI DATUK SERI DR. SALLEH MOHD NOR
First Director-General of Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, past president of the Malaysian Nature Society and winner of the 2016 Merdeka Award for the Environment

Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh b. Mohd. Nor.

“THE year 2016 has been a disastrous year for the environment. From deforestation to climate change, it seems to me that many issues were not addressed. Air pollution continues to remain a major worry in this country, leading to adverse environmental effects like haze, acid rain and the depletion of the ozone layer, harming not just the trees, soil, rivers and wildlife, but us as well. The government has pledged to cut carbon emission intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 but I’ve yet to see clear cut plans in place to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint. Our rivers are polluted, and are no longer clear – most have the consistency of teh tarik (tea with milk) now! People are generally apathetic and our water sources are being treated as rubbish dumps. It makes me very sad. It is my hope that the government will invest more in research. We need research to find solutions and create new technologies that can help mitigate our environmental woes. I also hope environmental education will be given the prominence it deserves. The future of the nation belongs to the children, and environmental education will present opportunities for young people to become engaged in real world issues confronting our planet and give them the skills they need to become creative solvers and powerful advocates. We need young leaders to rise up for us to pass the baton on.”

ANDREW SEBASTIAN
Naturalist, bird guide and Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY)

Andrew Sebastian.

“2016 has not been a good year for the environment. Logging and forest clearing continue to worm their way into our natural landscapes and our precious wildlife is in harm’s way, including my favourite Helmeted Hornbill that is now critically endangered! For a species that lives a monogamous life, foraging for a living in our deep forests and marvelled at by tourists the world over, we have managed to cruelly speed it up towards extinction. On the other hand, 2016 also saw new groups of civil society emerge to champion causes, and more events that celebrate our natural assets. As local states continue to embark on their tourism plans for 2017, I hope that the State governments will push for better campaigns and policies to not just celebrate but protect their natural resources. 2017 must also be a catalyst for Malaysians to wake up from their environmental slumber and move towards environmental action. We have already suffered a great loss as a nation with many of our iconic wildlife moving towards extinction. It’s time to move forward together and help protect what is left.”

CHEN PELF NYOK
Co-founder, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS)

Chen Pelf Nyok.

“THERE were some silver linings for the society despite the overall bleak outlook on the environmental scene. Our river terrapin project is gaining momentum at Kampung Pasir Gajah, we have a new hatchery and a mini terrapin museum is to be set up soon! The year has seen us forge great relationships with local communities which was instrumental in the success and growth of our project. It proves that we simply can’t do without community engagement. Conservation isn’t solely an endeavour by NGOs alone, we need the help of the local community to really make a difference. To put it succinctly, conservation is a task for everyone. We were invited to numerous outreach activities this year, and we’re glad to see an increase in awareness in the general public, compared to say, a few years ago. But, there’s still so much more to be done. I hope that awareness and education will continue to spread amongst young people. We need more young people to step up. As much as we’re making inroads in releasing juvenile river terrapins and raising awareness, we hope that our rivers will be kept in a pristine state so that river terrapins will have a natural habitat and riverine vegetation for food. Keeping our environment clean is something everyone can do. It starts with us.”

OSK Property Cleans Up Balok Beach

OSK Property Cleans Up Balok Beach

Date: 26th October 2016
Source: The Star Property

PETALING JAYA: More than 200 people took part in the Beach Clean-up event today, comprising of OSK Group staff, school children, university students, representatives from NGOs and the general public.

The event which collected a massive 368kg of trash littering the stretch of 1km public beach fronting the TimurBay Sales Gallery and Swiss-Garden Resort Residences was jointly organised by OSK Property with OSK Foundation, Malaysian Nature Society (Pahang Branch) and Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia.

Balok Beach located along the main coastal road from Kuantan to Terengganu is well known for its beautiful sea front and is one of the top destination for wind-surfing and kite-surfing in Asia. It is also home to numerous OSK properties including the latest project, TimurBay Seafront Residences.

Educating the importance of saving the marine life: Chen Pelf Nyok, Co-founder of Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia gave an insightful knowledge on the endangered turtles in the Malaysian shore and how we can help to prevent extinction by as simple as – not consuming turtle eggs or meat.

Educating the importance of saving the marine life: Chen Pelf Nyok, Co-founder of Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia gave an insightful knowledge on the endangered turtles in the Malaysian shore and how we can help to prevent extinction by as simple as – not consuming turtle eggs or meat.

“Over 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently litter the oceans of the world. This poses a great threat to sea turtles, seabirds and many other marine animals,” said Mr. Ong Ghee Bin, Chief Executive Officer of OSK Property.

“Through this cleanup, we hope to clean our beachfront and educate the general public on the need to maintain a clean beach for the wellbeing of our seas, oceans and our food source and create a sense of ownership among the public in ensuring the beach environment remains clean for the continued enjoyment of everyone and conservation of our marine ecosystem,” he further said.

Trash collected from this event were separated and sent to relevant recycling centers. OSK Property has been advocating recycling in order to reduce the amount of plastic going into our landfills.

Ready to clean-up Balok Beach: More than 200 volunteers came to support the movement for a better, cleaner beach and a healthy environment. From front left: Foo Wen Sze, Head, Group Corporate Communications, OSK Group and representative of the OSK Foundation; Noor Jehan, Vice Chairman, Malaysian Nature Society Pahang; Chan Wai Kee, Treasurer, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Ong Ghee Bin, Chief Executive Officer, OSK Property

Ready to clean-up Balok Beach: More than 200 volunteers came to support the movement for a better, cleaner beach and a healthy environment. From front left: Foo Wen Sze, Head, Group Corporate Communications, OSK Group and representative of the OSK Foundation; Noor Jehan, Vice Chairman, Malaysian Nature Society Pahang; Chan Wai Kee, Treasurer, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Ong Ghee Bin, Chief Executive Officer, OSK Property

One such program called ‘Waste to Wear’ involved recycling plastic bottles in OSK Property’s staff uniforms was launched in July 2016. “Plastic bottles in landfill lasts for almost 700 years before it finally degrades.

We at OSK Property want to emphasise on the great need to recycle plastic. To showcase how plastic bottles can be recycled into wearables, we took a step further in making uniforms from recycled bottles.

We wear our uniforms with great pride, knowing our move benefits Mother Earth. This clean up and recycling program is part of our continued effort to promote the recycling habit,” explained Mr. Ong Ghee Bin.

OSK Property and OSK Foundation also donated RM3,000.00 each to the Pahang Branch of Malaysian Nature Society and Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia to support the work of Environmental Education and Turtle Conservation projects respectively.

Leave nothing but footprints: Representatives of OSK Foundation, OSK Property, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia & Malaysian Nature Society Pahang gathered in the effort to make a difference – stamping our commitment to a healthy beach and cleaner sea. From left: Nicole Lee, General Manager, Sales and Marketing OSK Property; Foo Wen Sze, Head, Group Corporate Communications, OSK Group and representative of the OSK Foundation; Noor Jehan, Vice Chairman, Malaysian Nature Society Pahang; Ong Ghee Bin, Chief Executive Officer, OSK Property; Dr. Chan Eng Heng, President, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Chen Pelf Nyok, Co-founder, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Lee Man Chong, Senior General Manager, Project Management, OSK Property; Chan Wai Kee, Treasurer, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Lai Kow Lian, representative of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia.

Leave nothing but footprints: Representatives of OSK Foundation, OSK Property, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia & Malaysian Nature Society Pahang gathered in the effort to make a difference – stamping our commitment to a healthy beach and cleaner sea. From left: Nicole Lee, General Manager, Sales and Marketing OSK Property; Foo Wen Sze, Head, Group Corporate Communications, OSK Group and representative of the OSK Foundation; Noor Jehan, Vice Chairman, Malaysian Nature Society Pahang; Ong Ghee Bin, Chief Executive Officer, OSK Property; Dr. Chan Eng Heng, President, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Chen Pelf Nyok, Co-founder, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Lee Man Chong, Senior General Manager, Project Management, OSK Property; Chan Wai Kee, Treasurer, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia; Lai Kow Lian, representative of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia

Various other activities were held as well to heightened awareness on conservation. These include talks by Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia which highlights about marine life conservation & ecosystem of the wildlife and a colouring activity and 3D turtle making.

The public also took part in making nature artwork out of broken mosaic tiles. These artworks will decorate future OSK Property premises in an effort to continuously educate the public on nature conservation and to showcase OSK Property’s commitment to sustainable development.

There were also educational exhibitions put up by the NGOs at the event.

Terengganu turtles winning conservation war thanks to human hero

Terengganu turtles winning conservation war thanks to human hero

Date: 8th October 2016
By: Adrian David
Source: New Straits Times Online

KUALA TERENGGANU: A concerted effort by the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia has helped save thousands of eggs and facilitated the release of thousands of hatchlings into Terengganu rivers.

The society’s co-founder, Chen Pelf Nyok, said that they have managed to save 2,491 turtle eggs and released 1,302 hatchlings into the Setiu River between 2004 and 2014, and another 3,754 eggs and 2,401 hatchlings into the Kemaman River between 2011 and last year.

Pelf Nyok added that their campaign of saving river terrapins, involving over 13 years of research, conservation, education and ecotourism in Terengganu, is bearing fruit.

“During this 13-year period, we managed to organise 40 turtle camps in the state which benefitted at least 2,000 students, mainly from local universities.

“We also organised various awareness programmes like the annual Raptor Watch, wildlife exhibitions, World Turtle Day celebrations and annual terrapin releases in Setiu and Kemaman,” she said.

Pelf Nyok added that the society is now actively involved in the “Turtle Discovery Trip,” wherein participants are taken on a journey to learn about the turtles and terrapins of Malaysia.

“They can get up close with these critically endangered turtles through the programme started in 2012. So far, we have conducted 39 trips and taken more than 600 guests, including school groups,” she said.

Pelf Nyok is one of the speakers who will present a paper titled ‘Saving the River Terrapins: 13 years of research, conservation, education and eco-tourism in Terengganu’ at the Terengganu International Eco and Marine Tourism conference at Primula Beach Hotel on Monday.

Born in Kuantan, Pahang and receiving her primary education in Ipoh and Malacca, Pelf Nyok has always had a strong affinity towards turtles. She pursued her passion as an undergraduate at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).

Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology in 2004, she landed herself a job as a research assistant with a new river terrapin project on campus.

“It was during this stint that I had the opportunity to learn the ropes in turtle research and conservation. One event led to another and I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation,” she said.

Throughout her master’s research, she raised more than 800 river terrapins and determined the best feeding practices to raise the reptiles in captivity.

Currently, Pelf Nyok is pursuing her Ph.D. in Zoology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) with a scholarship from the CIMB Foundation.

In 2008, Pelf Nyok became the first Malaysian to be awarded a turtle conservation scholarship from the Asian Scholarship Programme for in-situ Chelonian Conservation to the United States.

“Through the scholarship, I had the opportunity to learn about and participate in various turtle research and conservation projects that my hosts were involved in.

“This included attachments with the University of Tennessee of Chattanooga, Behler Chelonian Centre in California and the Wetlands Institute in New Jersey,” she said.

In addition to turtle research and conservation, Pelf Nyok is also experienced in public outreach campaigns, coordinates and conducts various turtle education programmes and fund-raising events.

In 2010, she organised Turtle Awareness Camps in 15 primary schools in Terengganu, with the help of volunteer facilitators, successfully reaching out to more than 500 students.

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Errors:

  1. TCS does NOT organize Raptor Watch. The annual Raptor Watch is organized by Malaysian Nature Society, and TCS gets invited to participate in the public outreach event.
  2. The file picture of Pelf was erroneously credited to the author of this news article. Pelf’s Mum, Madam Lai took the original photo on the river terrapin nesting bank.
  3. TCS is not “actively involved” in the Turtle Discovery Trips. TCS conducts those trips.