Conservation of Pacific Sea Turtles

Chapter 16. Sea Turtle–Fisheries Interactions in Coastal Fisheries: A Case Study of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

290 Fisheries provide important food sources to many people around the world and contribute substantially to the livelihoods of coastal communities . In rural coastal areas where sources of income are limited, local communities have for decades and through generations depended extensively on fisheries resources. Developing countries currently supply 70% of fish for human consumption (Food and Agriculture Organization 2004). Some of these coastal areas are also important sea turtle nesting sites. Fisheries bycatch (both coastal and high seas) contributes to the mortality and decline of sea turtle populations. The dependence of coastal communities on natural resources such as fisheries and turtle egg consumption creates conflict between human use and sea turtle conservation. This underscores the importance of understanding the human impacts on sea turtle populations and at the same time the perception of local communities/fisheries industry on turtle conservation efforts to devise management options and garner acceptance of the relevant stakeholders. Previous studies on sea turtle–fishery interactions focused on characterizing gear type and fishing practices and estimating turtle interactions. Few have systematically documented and highlighted primary information on the socioeconomic profile of fishers and the perception and understandCHAPTER 16 Sea Turtle–Fisheries Interactions in Coastal Fisheries A Case Study of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia Bee Hong yeo, Dale SquireS, KaMarruDDin iBraHiM, HeiDi gjertSen, SyarifaH KHaDiejaH SyeD MoHD. KaMil, raHayu zulKifli, tHeoDore groveS, Peter H. Dutton, Meen CHee Hong, anD CHun Hong tan Sea Turtle–Fisheries Interactions | 291 ing of local communities, particularly of fishers on sea turtles. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the latter. This chapter was developed based on a socioeconomic study and survey of sea turtle–fishery interactions in Malaysia by Yeo et al. (2007). The study was carried out as one of the priorities identified at the 2004 Workshop on Charting Multidisciplinary Research and Action Priorities for Sea Turtle Management in Malaysia, which resulted from the 2003 Bellagio Conference on Sea Turtles. This chapter focuses on coastal fisheries, particularly examining sea turtle–fishery interactions and determining the socioeconomic profile and perception of local fishers about sea turtle issues along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Coastal fisheries are an important sector because they contribute almost 71% of the nation’s total production (Department of Fisheries , Malaysia 2005). The geographical area of the study was chosen due to the historical significance of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly Terengganu, which had been a major rookery for leatherback turtles. Although the population numbers of leatherbacks nesting in Terengganu have fallen to extremely critical levels, several key reasons buttress the background for the study, including the historical importance of Rantau Abang as one of the world’s major nesting sties for leatherbacks and the lessons that can be learned from the decline of this leatherback and other sea turtle populations in Terengganu. In addition, a recent study (Benson et al. 2007) indicated that leatherback turtles originating from nesting sites such as Papua Barat, Indonesia, have been documented to move and forage around Terengganu waters. Moreover, a viable green turtle population still exists, and with proper and careful conservation measures, there is still hope for survival for these populations. Sea Turtles in Malaysia Four out of seven sea turtle species can be found in Malaysia: leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea). The east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly Terengganu, was popularly known for the unique and abundant nesting of sea turtles in the 1970s and 1980s. The green turtle is the most extensively distributed in Malaysia, with about 13,300 nests recorded yearly in East Malaysia (10,000 in Sabah and 2,500 nests in Sarawak) and 2,950 in Peninsular Malaysia (Liew 2002). The highest concentration of green turtle nesting in Peninsular Malaysia occurs mainly around the islands and mainland of the states of Terengganu and 292 | Bee Hong yeo et al. Pahang. Leatherback nesting was mainly found on the 1.5 km stretch of beaches of Rantau Abang and Paka in Terengganu and was recorded nesting at Chendor in Pahang and in Johor (Kamarruddin 1996; Mohd. Najib and Hiew 1999). Around 2,000 leatherback nests were recorded in the 1950s; the number dropped drastically in the 1990s to around 213 nests in 1994 and 14 nests in 2003 (Zulkifli et al. 2004). In 2005, one leatherback landing was reported, and five landings were reported in 2006 (K.Ibrahim, personal communication). Studies...