File photo of a baby hawksbill turtle at Tanjong Beach in Sentosa island. – AFP photo
SEREMBAN (Sept 11): A total of 32 baby hawksbill turtles were found wandering on the sidewalk of Batu 4 beach, Port Dickson near here before being rescued by members of the public yesterday, said Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department (JPNS) director Halimi Abu Hanip.
He said the turtle hatchlings were rescued by an individual named Jezzrel Pereira and his friends who happened to pass by the location at 2 am.
“Due to their concern for the safety of the animals, they quickly rescued the hatchlings and released them into the sea. The incident was also reported to the Civil Defence Force (APM) and JPNS.
“Following the report, a team from the Port Dickson Ornamental Fish Centre and APM was rushed to the scene to find the remaining young turtles and they successfully rescued another hatchling,” he told Bernama today.
Halimi also thanked Jezzrel and his friends for their swift action, adding that this was the second incident in Port Dickson after the first one occurred in Bagan Pinang beach last month.
He explained that sea turtles would hatch at night, before making their way to the water.
However, baby turtles faced greater threats, especially on the Port Dickson beach as the area was a tourist attraction and they could get crushed by vehicles or humans.
“Baby turtles also face the risk of being eaten by dogs and birds or collected by irresponsible people,” he said, adding that the endangered species was protected under the Negeri Sembilan’s Fisheries (Turtles and Turtles Eggs) Rules 1976 and Fisheries Act 1985.
Meanwhile, Port Dickson Ornamental Fish Centre head Doreen Wee Siew Leen said a total of 540 baby green and hawksbill turtles were released into several beaches around Port Dickson from January until July this year.
“We hope the turtle release activity can increase the number of green and hawksbill turtle landings one day,” she said. – Bernama