Managing director Of Life Water, Liaw Hen Kong (third right) presented one of the winning crafts from the Sea Turtle Craft Contest to Tuan Sukur, while Chin Lee Ling (second right), Executive Director who leads the company’s ESG programmes and others look on.
SANDAKAN (July 1): In support of conservation initiatives at Sabah Turtle Islands Park, Life Water Industries Sdn Bhd carried out a Turtle Nest Adoption programme at the Selingan Island, which is one of the three islands that form the Turtle Islands National Park, located approximately 40 kilometers north of Sandakan.
Ojilah Nadzir, winner of the Sea Turtle Craft Contest holding her winning piece.
The symbolic adoption of 20 turtle nests (1,446 quantity of eggs) of the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) species on June 25 is part of the environmental and social programmes under the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) by Life Water Industries Sdn Bhd (Life Water) Group, popularly known by its flagship brand of drinking water, K2.
It is also in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Life Water that had made quality beverages affordable for everyone in the past 20 years.
According to the park manager Tuan Sukur Bin Sukardi, who received the Life Water team, Life Water is the first company adopting the most number of nests since 2016.
Through the programme, Life Water K2 also hopes to spread awareness on the importance of not only conservation of the sea turtles but also protecting their natural habitat.
The species found in our waters are endangered species.
In Sabah, they are fully protected under Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997: Part 1, Schedule 1, with hefty fine for offenders of minimum RM50,000, maximum RM250,000 and imprisonment of minimum one year, maximum five years.
It is important to spread the conservation message to all, especially among the young population as they play a vital role as crusaders for the cause.
The programme is also aimed at fostering positive values of love for marine life and as an awareness to the communities that Life Water K2 is committed in driving its sustainability agendas.
Having learnt about the dwindling population of sea turtles through climate change, loss of nesting habitat through coastal developments and as bycatch of commercial fishing, Life Water K2 wants to play a part in turtle conservation and stop sea turtles from possible extinction.
As the turtle population declines, so does their role in fulfilling vital functions in the ocean ecosystems.
Besides, turtles are also a popular tourism product as tourists love to see these beautiful marine creatures. Divers diving alongside friendly sea turtles is a magical experience.
Life Water is open to collaborating with stakeholders like tour operators, chalet operators and like-minded players to engage in sea turtle and marine conservation through awareness campaigns and conservation activities.
Visitors to the Park are encouraged to adopt and participate in the adoption of turtle nests to promote turtle conservations. Companies or any entities are encouraged to do the same by contacting Sabah Parks.
As a normal procedure, adopters were given the chance to follow park rangers to the nesting site and observe mother turtles laying their eggs until the release of newly-hatched baby turtles to the sea, all under the expert guidance of the park rangers. Every egg is precious as only one in 1,000 hatchlings would survive to adulthood.
Each adopter will get a certificate of adoption, displayed name on the turtle nest, a t-shirt, and photos of adopted turtle nests from Sabah.
Upon hatching, an adopter will, through email, also get a photo of baby turtles being released to the sea.
Prior to the adoption programme, Life Water K2 in an effort to raise awareness or expand knowledge on sea turtle conservation and recycling, had organized the Sea Turtle Craft Contest.
The use of recycled materials by contestants aims to communicate that a lot of used materials can be re-purposed through recycling or upcycling instead of being thrown as thrash.
The contest was held from June 1 to 18 via Facebook and TikTok. Contestants were to create a craft piece depicting a sea turtle or turtles using recycled materials. Twenty-nine contestants submitted their crafts.
One of the winning craft pieces was presented to Sabah Parks for display in the Exhibition Hall of Turtle Islands Park on Selingan Island on June 25.