Coaxing turtle conservation out of its shell

Everybody loves sea turtles. Whether they're found flapping away in aquarium tanks or lucky divers encounter them by chance in the vastness of the ocean, they are objects of affection for people of all ages.

Quite alarmingly, however, their population count is dwindling, their survival chance low. It is estimated that only about one turtle in a thousand will survive to adulthood where it would be able to reproduce a new generation of its own baby turtles.

Years of declining populations, from the turtle's natural predators like sharks, to human activities like fishing and littering, have all contributed to the decreased chance of survival for the marine species.

To address the situation, several state-owned and private organisations in Phuket have joined hands in recent years to try and keep their local marine culture and resources intact.

At the forefront of the conservation effort, the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) – which operates under the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment – has been running a turtle nursery for over a decade. The facility literally nurses

baby turtles until they are strong enough to be released into the sea. It is hoped that this effort will result in the turtles eventually finding their way back to Andaman beaches to lay their eggs, prompting population growth.

Each year, around 500 green sea turtles are raised at the PMBC nursery. The turtle eggs are taken from Ko Huyong in Similan Islands National Park, where green sea turtles often lay eggs. The process is aided by the local marine environment.

After a year of constant care in tanks, the turtles are ready to be released. The staff at PMBC will wait until the turtles reach a specific size, with shells at least 20cm long and body weighing over 2kg, before they give their seal of approval for these animals to finally be returned to their home.

The learning centre at Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation.

Hirun Kanghae, PMBC's fishery biologist, said this standard size has been set to ensure that the turtles swim out with their best chance to survive the harsh sea. At an adequate size, the turtles are able to fend off sharks, one of their most common predators.

"If they could live unscathed from the fishing industry, we predict that 60%-70% of our sea turtles could survive into adulthood and come back to lay eggs," said Hirun. The specialist reported that his team spotted an increase in turtle numbers – from 10 to 60 turtles per flight – during an aerial survey conducted during 2012 to 2016. Still, he admitted that they could have been turtles that managed to survive on their own, not the ones raised by the PMBC.

Each year, generally around Songkran time, several seaside establishments in Phuket receive the PMBC turtles – all tagged and implanted with microchips – as part of the annual release programmes that tourists and hotel guests can participate in.

Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, situated on Layan Beach, for example, has hosted a turtle release event on its portion of beach for the past four years. For a donation of 5,000 baht, guests can adopt one turtle, which is released at the ceremony. The sponsoring guests get to hand-carry their turtle to the water's edge and watch as it swims off towards the horizon. All proceeds from the donations go to the PMBC to support its ongoing marine conservation efforts.

To-date, over 140 turtles have been released at Anantara Layan, and over 240 participants have had their share of fun and bonding with nature. Children, especially, are always thrilled by their close-encounters with marine life.

"It's a great opportunity to educate children about sea turtles and the threats they face. It also gets them to feel connected to us and our beach in a way that other activities cannot," said Frederic Varnier, managing director of Anantara Layan Phuket Resort.

Like Varnier, Hirun feels that the release activity helps generate empathy in human consciousness, which may encourage people to feel more protective towards the creatures and be more aware of how their own actions are affecting marine animals.

It is unfortunate that the main culprit responsible for the decline in the marine population is humankind. Phuket, the tourist capital of Thailand's south, has been seeing the situation worsen in recent years, with wrecked coral reefs, rising levels of trash in the sea, construction and tourist activities have increasingly encroached upon marine habitats. Unless immediate action is taken, experts predict that soon nothing much will be left of this sun-kissed paradise but the unwanted ruins of its past glories.

Varnier suggested that, aside from direct conservation, the entire tourism and hospitality industry can take a more sustainable approach to helping preserve marine life and ecosystems.

"It is largely these marine animals that draw guests from around the world. People come here specifically to see coral reefs replete with turtles and fish. Beyond that, there are systems that keep the water clear and blue, the sand golden and clean," Varnier said, noting the significance of the environment to the industry.

Steps are now being taken by various private businesses along Phuket beaches to limit the impact of their practices on the environment. For example, hotels along Mai Khao beach have signed an agreement to support sea turtle conservation. Among the pledging resorts, JW Marriott Phuket Resort hosts the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, which serves as an education centre and turtle shelter, within its grounds.

Varnier further suggested that the hospitality businesses can always set an example for guests by reducing the use of plastics that could end up in the ocean and reducing their consumption of energy, the generation of which leads to pollution.

"Taken together, all of these measures ensure that guests get the message that they can continue to be more ecologically aware when they return home, and that they too can help conserve the vital global marine environment."