Turtle Eggs: Snatched, bagged and sold for the money

KEMAMAN (NST): The tour guide weaves through the stalls in Pasar Payang Kuala Terengganu. Behind him a group of tourists try to keep up, craning their necks as they hope to spot it before the guide does.

Suddenly, the guide screams, “Over here!” and the group rushes over to a table manned by an elderly woman. In front of her is a basin with turtle eggs packed in plastic bags.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia says tour guides are encouraging visitors to give turtle eggs a try. And the organisation hopes to put an end to this conservation nightmare, along with the consumption of turtle eggs by Malaysians.

Today, WWF Malaysia will launch “Egg Equals Life”, a nationwide campaign to collect pledges to stop eating turtle eggs. Through September, the pledges will be distributed through colleges, universities, WWF events and online. The target is 40,000 signatures.

“We hope this campaign will get the legislation protecting turtles amended so that it is uniform. At present, there are different laws in different states,” WWF Malaysia Te-rengganu turtle programme team leader Rahayu Zulkifli told reporters after a gotong-royong at the Ma’ Daerah Turtle sanctuary to prepare for the nesting season.

It was also the soft launch of the campaign, and more than 200 pledges were collected.

More than 800 people turned up to clean up the beach, which was jointly organised by the state Fisheries Department, WWF Malaysia and BP Petronas Acetyls.

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Squid for the taking in village bonanza

ABUNDANCE OF SQUID…Villagers of Kampung Pantai Batu Rakit, Kuala Terengganu have been eating squid for breakfast, lunch and dinner since late last week. The squid from the South China Sea are rushing towards the beach during high tide but the villagers are not complaining as they are earning extra income with this bonanza. Aznan Yusoff (right) and Mohd Ridzwan Dullah with the squid scooped up in the shallow waters off the beach at Kampung Pantai Batu Rakit.

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KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): Since late last week, the villagers of Kampung Pantai Batu Rakit have been eating squid for breakfast, lunch and dinner — deep-fried, stir-fried, grilled, buttered, breaded, curried, in sambal, and any other way they can think of.

The beach is “swarming” with squid.

“It’s as if the squid from the South China Sea are begging to come out of the ocean and jump into our pots,” said Mohd Ridzwan Dullah.

He said he had never seen anything like it. All the villagers need to do is to walk to the beach, wade in the shallow water and scoop up the squid with buckets or nets, or whatever else comes to hand.

“I’ve even caught some by hand,” said the lorry driver, who claimed he had caught about 100kg of squid.

“The squid is abundant late in the afternoon when the tide is high.”

Aznan Yusoff said many villagers were earning extra money, selling the squid to passers-by or to wholesalers.

“We’re catching more than we can eat or store in the refrigerator.

“We charge RM3 to RM5 a kilo for smaller squid and up to RM8 for the bigger ones. It’s reasonable since we’re just scooping them up.”

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Department head Prof Sakri Ibrahim said it was rare to find squid in shallow water.

“Squid are usually found in water about 10m deep. They don’t move around much unless their habitat is changing. A change in water temperature or salinity could do the trick.

“In this case, I’m assuming there could have been a change in the pattern of the undercurrent, which not only disturbed their habitat but steered them into the shallow waters off Batu Rakit beach.”

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Cuaca panas fenomena biasa

KUALA TERENGGANU 20 April (Utusan Malaysia) – Jabatan Meteorologi Terengganu menyifatkan cuaca panas sehingga 29 darjah Celsius di bandar raya ini sejak kelmarin sebagai satu fenomena biasa.

Jurucakap jabatan itu, Saifulrehan Mat Aji berkata, Malaysia kini sedang mengalami perubahan cuaca daripada monsun timur laut kepada monsun barat daya.

Menurut beliau, perubahan itu yang dinamakan sebagai monsun peralihan berlaku dalam tempoh dua bulan bermula awal bulan ini.

Katanya, ia bukan menandakan permulaan satu musim kemarau kerana beberapa kawasan di negara ini menerima hujan.

”Sepanjang monsun peralihan ini, cuaca kadang kala akan berubah.

”Cuaca menjadi panas mungkin kerana sinaran matahari yang terik,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Beliau diminta mengulas keluhan orang ramai akibat cuaca panas sejak dua hari lalu.

Saifulrehan berkata, cuaca waktu pagi pada musim peralihan biasanya adalah baik manakala lewat petang akan berlaku hujan atau ribut petir.

”Pada waktu malam juga diramalkan kadang kala hujan atau ribut petir,” katanya.

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Bomoh larikan gadis selepas keluarga tolak pinangan

KUALA TERENGGANU (Berita Harian): Seorang gadis dilaporkan hilang dari rumahnya di Kampung Teluk Menara, Manir di sini sejak dua bulan lalu, dipercayai dilarikan bomoh selepas pinangannya ditolak keluarga mangsa.

Kehilangan Nur Kartini Mamat, 24, disedari keluarganya pada jam 9 malam 21 Februari lalu, sehari selepas bomoh itu menyatakan hajat meminang mangsa.

Keluarga mangsa membuat laporan di Balai Polis Manir selepas gagal mencarinya pada malam itu.

Ketua Polis Daerah Kuala Terengganu, Asisten Komisioner Zamri Shamsuddin, berkata polis sudah menjalankan gerakan mencari Nur Kartini, tetapi sehingga kini mangsa dan bomoh itu tidak dapat dikesan.

Beliau meminta sesiapa yang mempunyai maklumat supaya menghubungi Balai Polis Daerah Kuala Terengganu di talian 09-6246222.

Nur Kartini mempunyai wajah bulat, kulit cerah dan rambut paras bahu dengan ketinggian sekitar 1.5 meter.

Ibu mangsa, Semek Awang, 61, berkata bomoh yang mendakwa bekerja sebagai kerani di sini, mengenali Nur Kartini ketika mangsa menjalani rawatan di Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ) kerana menghadapi tekanan jiwa.

“Dia juga menyatakan hajat meminang Nur Kartini, tetapi kami tidak setuju kerana Nur Kartini belum sihat sepenuhnya,” katanya.

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