Sacks of butchered green turtle carcasses and its cooked meat were found off Bum Bum Island in Semporna, Sabah on Saturday at around 6 am.
The Sabah General Operations Force (PGA) Brigade Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rani Alias said the carcasses of 11 turtles were discovered during the integrated Op Khazanah.
Photo via NST
The operation was jointly held with the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Forestry Department.
He said along with the carcasses, a hook believed to be used to catch the turtles was also recovered.
“We also found two sacks containing cooked turtle meat, turtle carcasses and cooking utensils.
“Inspections around the location did not find any suspects believed to be involved in the activity,” he said as reported by NST.
Rani added that all the findings including cooking utensils were confiscated before being taken to the Semporna district police headquarters for further action.
The total value of the seizures was estimated at RM8,200 based on the current market price.
Further investigations are being carried out under Section 41 (1) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
Photo via NST
This is terrible!
The green turtles or also known as Penyu Agar by the locals, is classified as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species, due to overharvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear and loss of nesting beach sites.
Guys, please take care of our wildlife... We can’t afford to lose anymore turtles!
Protecting our wildlife is vital as life in the wild promotes biological diversity, which in turn, provides food, material for clothing, and medicines. So, if a single species should become extinct, the whole food chain will be disrupted, affecting all species, including us!
By conserving wildlife, we are also ensuring that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the incredible species that live within it.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
