Say NO to turtle eggs

Extracted from the news. Click the title for full article.

X-rated egg rush in Terengganu (TheStar)

Shocking! - Traders openly selling endangered turtle eggs that were collected from the beaches of Terengganu.

This is a MYTH - that turtle eggs could improve sexual prowess was a myth. However, it failed to stop couples wanting to revive their flagging sex lives from buying the eggs.

Huge demand for these eggs as they were claimed useful to treat asthma and backaches.

The endangered Green Turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world. Females lay their eggs at night in a process that takes two hours, each time laying 110 to 115 eggs.

The leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles are already said to be close to extinction in Terengganu while the number of Hawksbill and Green Turtles has also plunged drastically.

It has been reported that a leading cause for the decline of turtle species is egg consumption.

Source : wwf.panda.org

Save the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) @ Penyu Agar/Penyu Pulau. More info of this turtle can be found in turtleconservationcentre.

Population:

• Leatherback turtles - declined by more than 99%
• Olive ridley turtles - declined by more than 95%
• Green turtles - Some populations in Malaysia appear to be stable currently. However compared to population numbers prior to 1970, large populations in Terengganu & Sarawak have decreased significantly (more than two folds)
• Hawksbill turtles - Large populations remain only in Sabah & Malacca. Both populations appear to be stabilising. However it should be noted that historical nesting data in Malacca extended to 1990, which is quite recent and too short term to surmise on population trend.

Source : Liew,2002 in WWF Malaysia

Taken from WWF website; message/reminder to all on "What You Can Do"

To save our turtles...

1. Do not buy souvenirs made from turtles.
2. Do not buy and create a demand for turtle eggs. Allow the eggs to be incubated naturally where laid.
3. Ensure rubbish is properly disposed of. Plastic bags floating in the ocean are often mistaken for food, and when eaten, may cause a turtle’s death.
4. Do not light up fires or make noise on a nesting beach. These activities may disturb a nesting turtle.
5. Avoid using illegal, non-turtle friendly fishing devices. A turtle caught in fishing gear may drown and die.
6. Support turtle conservation efforts and pass on the conservation message.

Why not we just spread via word-of-mouth, that the turtle eggs that these shallow people consumed are actually dangerous to their health and won't bring any benefit at all. Make it a fact and so everyone will believe it and scared to consume it. Hehe!! Ok, not-so-practical...

People! You don't need the protein from the sea turtle's egg. Traders! There are many other alternative products you can sell. No supply, No demand. Got demand, No supply... No supply, until the level of demand is 'dead'.