New Straits
Times
Wednesday,
Apr 25, 2012
KOTA
KINABALU - THREE dead turtles with their shells removed were found on the
shores of Pulau Mantanani Kecil in Kota Belud recently.
The hawksbill turtles were found
by employees of a backpackers' lodge on the island between Sunday and Monday.
An employee said that apart from the shells, which appeared to have been
uniformly cut, the eyes of the turtles were also poked.
The shell of hawksbill turtles,
known as tortoiseshell, is used to make combs, guitar picks, knitting needles
and ornaments.
Since 1973, the trade of tortoiseshell worldwide was banned under
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Tortoiseshell is preferred because of its durability.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department director Dr
Laurentius Ambu said officers would go to the island to investigate the
incident.
"Hawksbill turtles are protected reptiles in the state."
The shells could have been cut by poachers, said Ambu.
In 1996, Malaysia and the
Philippines had set up an area to protect turtles in Sulu Sea. The Turtle
Islands Heritage Protected Area covers three islands in Malaysia and six in the
Philippines.
For More Details: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20120425-341936.html
