The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia has urged the government to amend the Fisheries Act 1985 to ban the eating of turtle eggs.

WWF Terengganu Turtle Conservation Programme head Rahayu Zulkifli said the open sale of turtle eggs shows lack of public awareness although many are  aware that turtles are threatened with extinction.

“WWF fears that slow government action in banning eating of turtle eggs will cause extinction as landings of four species of turtles, the leatherback, hawksbill, green and olive ridley, off the Terengganu coast have dropped.

“So far, only the leatherback turtle eggs are banned but WWF wants the ban on eating of turtle eggs to cover all species,” she told Bernama in Kuala Terengganu today.

Turtle eggs are still readily available at Pasar Payang, the state’s main tourist attraction.

Rahayu said many tourists visit Terengganu to sample turtle eggs as they can easily buy them since Sabah and Sarawak had banned the sale and eating of turtle eggs.

The Malaysian government last year signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the management and conservation of turtles in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA) which seek to protect endangered species, but no follow-up was done.

WWF also submitted a memorandum on the importance of banning the sale and  eating of turtle eggs to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last year but no progress has been made.

- Bernama