Turtle Fostering
By Oliver E. Soe Thet and Daw Khin Khet Khet Khaing

IT WAS a year ago that I first noticed a dark, red meat on display at Thandwe market, Ngapali Beach. Some months later I saw what resembled table tennis balls at the neighbouring fish market. I soon discovered the meat was a highly prized addition on the Myanmar dinner table. And the table tennis balls were eggs, sold mainly for their supposed ability to increase a man’s virility. Both are products of the sea turtle. Myanmar people’s lives are influenced by hundreds of years of traditions, and the difficulties they face in a generally subsistence lifestyle. Eating turtle and turtle eggs is just as acceptable in this country as eating beef is in another; using what nature provides. At Thandwe Market, Ngapali buyers and sellers trade just as they have done for generations and I understand that turtle products have long been considered a delicacy in Myanmar. Perhaps in regional areas the farming of these products is essential for survival. But the selling of such products for tourist souvenir purposes, killing an animal just to place it as decoration on the wall, I cannot condone. As manager of the Bayview Beach Resort, Ngapali, I am constantly concerned with tourism and tourism-related issues. Including preservation of the natural environment around Ngapali beach, so important to ensuring sustainable tourism in the area. So, when a guest came to me last year and told me that they had seen local fishermen digging turtle eggs at the Northern end of Ngapali Beach, I was concerned. Tourism has been growing rapidly around the beaches of Myanmar, and parallel to this, the growth of a very different purpose for travel has become noticeable; the ‘trophy hunter’. Trophy


Ngapali Beach residents are
committed to saving their turtle
community

Mr Till, Oliver Soe Thet and a keen
helper bury sea turtle eggs in an
effort to protect the turtle community
that has made Ngapali beach their
home.

hunters journey to countries to enjoy the unspoilt nature, and to benefit from it in ways not always to nature’s advantage. Instead they return home with ‘evidence’ of their visit to exotic places, a hobby which can be slowly destructive to the environment from where they came. The Hawksbill sea turtle Cheloniidae or  Eretmochelys imbricata, is often seen along Ngapali shores, and, I believe, along the whole coastline of the Rakhine State. Side-by-side with this turtle I have seen giant whale sharks, also endangered, though not on the extreme ‘Red List’ yet. (The ‘Red List’ is compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature). During a familiarisation tour with a group of local and overseas-based tourism operators, we made a trip to the Thandwe fish and vegetable market. Turtle eggs were again being sold, after a long period in which I had not seen them. We bought them all. My idea to foster a sea turtle community was brought to life. The plan: to collect sea turtle eggs on sale and to hatch them, under supervision, to boost the local population of sea turtles. Within the last four weeks I, and other willing participants in the project including then-Bayview Resort food and beverage manager Mr Till, have been lucky. Twice we have seen and consequently purchased turtle eggs at the market. Bit by bit we have been collating our knowledge and refining our skills in order to implement our fostering plan properly. Suggestions for the project come from all corners of the world. Weekly we receive emails, faxes and letters from enthusiasts wanting to lend a hand. A number of tourists to the area have joined in the relocation of turtle eggs. As reported in MT last year (‘The Precious Stones, Issue 23, 29/10/00) by Mg Mg Htay Myint, Minister for Forestry U Aung Phone established a turtle breeding farm in Shauktawyo. And since the 1960’s

a colony of Hawksbill sea turtles has been protected by the Myanmar Government’s natural heritage sanctuary at Pearl Island.  Many years ahead of the establishment of environment pressure groups such as Greenpeace, the protection of Pearl Island highlights the high regard in which Myanmar people hold their natural environment. It is my vision that a turtle-fostering project would be beneficial for the local Ngapali tourist industry, local community, and wider Myanmar community. Not to mention the interest it will spark globally, as shown by the level of enthusiasm for similar projects in Sri Lanka, and Mexico, which many guests to Ngapali have mentioned. It will not only save a species, but sends a positive image to tourists that this country is environmentally aware. A professional turtle-watching project could be implemented, and a system of registering and breeding of turtles put in place. The tourism industry could do a lot with such project – including special promotions and events. At the same time, we can attempt to ensure an inclusion of turtles in the ‘Red List’ never eventuates.
Sea turtles have fantastic navigational abilities. A female will come back to the same place where they were born after three or four years, to lay their own eggs. Most amazing is that they never miss their place of birth by more than one metre, and continue to come back every two years. The eggs are laid into a hole laboriously excavated with the hind flippers, and then immediately covered with sand. The sun’s heat then incubates the eggs for the mother, as they rest inside their sandy greenhouse. A turtle embryo hatches after 49 to 71 days and immediately looks for the sea. The chance of survival is minimal considering the number of threats a newly-born turtle must face. Statistics show that from one nest, which usually contains between 80 and 150 eggs, only one or two embryos will survive. As soon as they hatch, turtles have to face threats such as birds and dogs, as well as human poachers. If they make it to the water, barracuda and other fish species are waiting. Accidental drowning in the huge drift nets set for tuna, mackerel, and other fish; illnesses caused by spilled oil or pollution including man-made rubbish; and destruction of natural habitats by industrial development. Turtles and tortoises date from before the dinosaur age. For the evolutionary-successful sea turtles, man’s keen interest in their eggs, meat and body for trophies could become the most difficult task of survival they have faced. The challenge to those who wish to maximise the turtle’s chances of survival is helping the turtles overcome these obstacles. Any farmer, or protectionist must understand the turtle’s habits and way of life. Facts like; how deep a nest should be; how to transport eggs without the embryos being damaged; building nests out of the reach of tide and flood levels; the maximum time a new-born can be kept in captivity for a greater chance of survival; and to release new-born turtles at night so they can instinctively follow the lights created by the moon, the shine of the water and the white foam of the wave crests. A female turtle can lay eggs every two years, and then up to seven times each season. Research has found they can find their way back to the same beach each time through a sense for magnetic fields, and a strong sense of smell that helps them track familiar waters. Thus, if seas become polluted, their orientation systems are upset. It could be assumed, then, that waters in the Ngapali area and outlying regions are minimally affected by pollution, as the sea turtle population is continuing to find their way back to our shores.

A local perspective

Bayview Beach Resort has been buying all sizes of turtles, and eggs from local fishermen. But Manager Oliver Soe Thet does not intend his purchases to grace the restaurant menu, but to save them from extinction. Turtle meat and eggs are highly valued both as culinary delights and medicinal aids. The fishermen of Ngapali go out in boats probably built during their grandfathers’ days. Now they are learning about conservation, and with support from local authorities and residents, they are willing to do their bit and allow Bayview to buy their turtle catch. In this way the fishermen do not lose their livelihood, and the placid sea creatures are saved. A couple of weeks ago, a Carret Sea Turtle was bought by Bayview and a few days later let loose with great fanfare.