Scubaism

The Bellagio Sea Turtle Conservation Initiative - a landmark meeting scheduled to convene in Kijal, Terengganu, in Malaysia, July 17-20 - will bring together an internationally diverse group of concerned conservationists, scientists and resource managers to develop a long-term conservation plan for leatherback sea turtles in the Western Pacific Region.

There is irony in meeting in Malaysia. Since the locals enjoy eating boiled turtle eggs by the hundreds every day. And since the local tourism minister seems more concerned with building memorials to turtles than saving them. And the local fisheries minister just demonstrated a lack of seriousness in addressing the issue of turtle conservation by announcing a ludicrous plan to clone turtles.

So I wrote to Irene Kinan, the Turtle Coordinator at the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, and urged her to put two things on the agenda.

First, a visit to the  Pasir Payang turtle egg market in Kuala Terengganu.

And second, a demand from their hosts about what they are doing to stop the eating of turtle eggs.