Public urged to stop buying turtle eggs

[Admin]

SANDAKAN: Everyone in the district is needed to play a role to eradicate the sale of turtle eggs, thus supporting efforts to protect the turtles.

Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) president Datuk James Wong said the endangered species of turtles had become one of Sandakan’s tourist attractions, and various efforts to protect the species would be in vain if the community did not give their support to the authority.



“The public should refrain from buying turtle eggs. The demand from the public is causing the sale of turtle eggs difficult to eradicate,” he said during a ceremony to place a turtle awareness signboard at the Sandakan central market here, yesterday.

The ceremony was also attended by WWF (Malaysia) branch chief, Ms Choo Poo Leem, deputy president of SMC Haji Mohd Hamsan Haji Awang Supain, members of WWF, and members of non-governmental organisations.

The signboard acts as a medium to disseminate message on the importance of turtles. The awareness campaign will be the first step in curbing the sale of turtle eggs before enforcement action is implemented.

As the local enforcement authority, SMC will work closely with Wildlife Department to eradicate the sale of turtle eggs in this district. -Source, theborneopost.com