By Chenelle Fernando
Last week, we stumbled across an incident that made us truly question humanity and the entrenchment of its so-called values that seemed to have unfathomably gone astray.
Two individuals were arrested for selling turtle meat in Arachchikattuwa in the Puttalam District. The incident instantaneously prompted us to inquire into and enlighten ourselves of these gentle creatures that both swim our seas and hover our lands.
One could only dwell on the joy of how lucky we got as human beings – to be able to communicate, to have fundamental rights, accompanied with rules and regulations that rise to protect us whenever the need crops up. To state the obvious, not only do human beings tend to harm their own kind, but quite alarmingly harm those creatures that weren’t born with the endowments mankind is blessed with.
One can’t stress enough on how important it is to conserve and preserve our territorial wildlife, but what of marine life? Our focus this week is on turtles, and as per independent marine researcher and author Howard Martenstyn, sea turtles play key roles in supporting ecosystems in the ocean as well as on land.
“Sea turtles have been found to support healthy reefs by controlling sponges which would otherwise out-compete reef-building corals for space, whilst dune and beach vegetation are nourished and grow healthier.” Healthy vegetation with strong root systems prevents the subsequent erosion of the beach.
To begin with, turtles are reptiles and as per the natural process, once they hatch out of their eggs, they immediately crawl into open waters, which is where most part of their lives is spent. They happen to be airbreathers – meaning they’d only spend several minutes under water. Wildlife and Nature Protection Society immediate Past Director Rukshan Jayawardene noted that female turtles would invariably return to the same stretch of beach in which they were born for breeding purposes. The mortality rates of these hatchlings are placed at a striking high of 90%.
Whilst the species boasts a lifespan ranging from 80-100 years, Jayawardena noted how these turtles spending a large portion of their time at sea might prevent researchers from instigating long-term research on them. “No one really keeps these turtles in captive situations like aquariums, so even if they die, there’s no way of finding out what their longevity is.”
This remarkable trait of longevity is likely to be intricately linked with that of its nutrition. Jayawardene included that whilst they reflect omnivore-like traits, by consuming jellyfish, its nutrition consists of vegetation for the most part. “They go to the bottom of the ocean and this is where they mostly feed on vegetation such as seaweed.”
Following the sad event of selling turtle meat, we were quick to understand that not only are these species hitched to the risks associated with the ever-growing plastic menace, but are also forced to succumb to travesties of such nature.
“They are protected species. But there are people who catch them and it’s a very small sector of society that does so. Nevertheless, it is the Wildlife Department that needs to prosecute these culprits together with the Police.
They too are required to be educated on the subject matter,” denoted Jayawardene, whilst commenting on the matter.
Whether they’re endangered or not is dependent on the type of species. Some species are endangered whereas some of them aren’t. We were told that numbers are much lower than what they used to be. This could be attributed to habitat loss occasioned from beaches being converted into tourist spots.
“Unfortunately, safe places for turtles to breed are lessening by the day” added Jayawardene. This prevents them from returning to the beach they were born in, despite them being programmed to do so.
If you’re social media savvy, it’s a given that you are likely to have stumbled upon the plethora of posts referring to marine creatures and sometimes even sea birds that succumbed to the mighty plastic travesty. Amongst them are turtles. As mentioned previously, jellyfish are a part of some species of turtles’ nutrition.
“A modern threat faced by these species are the plastic bags in the water that look like jellyfish,” said Jayawardena. He further denoted that turtle deaths occasioned due to the consumption of plastic/polythene are strikingly high.
Additionally, he asserted that whilst there are certain organisations that work towards the conservation of turtles, there are incidents where even this has been abused for the furtherance of ulterior motives. For instance, when turtles hatch from their nesting grounds, individuals retain the new born hatchlings, so that tourists can come and witness them.
“New born turtles consist of amniotic sac at the lower part of their shells. This acts as an energy package for the newborn turtles to swim out to the sea, over the reef, and then into open waters. So the problem with retaining these turtles in tanks is that they would swim around,” he explained.
Jayawardena also said that the issue with this is that the turtles usually exhaust this energy by the time they’re released, thereby granting a negative impact on its overall performance.
Conservation – the silver lining
As the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance 1938 which was amended in 1972 goes, it is an offence to capture, kill, injure or possess sea turtles or their eggs.
Whilst we witness many organisations set in place for the protection of these creatures, we spoke to Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project (KSTCP) Founder Dudley Perera to shed light on their services.
Showing dedication towards the cause for nearly 31 years, KSTCP is a conservation project carried out privately under the guidelines of the Wildlife Department.
They mitigate these incidents through the collection of turtle eggs from markets, and release of the hatchlings the moment they hatch.
Perera mentioned that in relation to the law pertaining to this particular issue, the possession and selling of turtle eggs is illegal. The areas set to become breeding grounds are densely populated.
This makes it challenging for conservationists to protect eggs the natural way.
“For instance, it is mostly along the beach stretch starting from Bentota up until Galle that is regarded as the demarcated breeding ground for turtles. Segregation and separation might be challenging as these areas are inhabited by human beings. So instead, we extract the eggs to safer grounds and release the hatchlings as soon as they’re born,” said Perera.
Perera further stressed on how, although killing of turtles in these areas is in fact rare, probing on the protection and conservation of turtle eggs remains a constant problem. Apart from this, assimilated within their ethos are awareness programmes and research projects.
"Channel Fernando: ""Juma lililopita, tulijikwaa na tukio ambalo lilitufanya tujiulize kweli ubinadamu na kuimarika kwa kile kinachoitwa maadili yake ambayo yalionekana kuwa yamepotea bila kueleweka." Watu wawili walikamatwa kwa kuuza nyama ya kasa huko Arachchikattuwa katika Wilaya ya Puttalam. Tukio hilo lilituchochea mara moja kuchunguza na kujifunza juu ya viumbe hawa wapole ambao wote huogelea baharini mwetu na kuelea nchi zetu. Mtu anaweza tu kukaa juu ya furaha ya jinsi tuna bahati kama wanadamu - kuwa na uwezo wa kuwasiliana, kuwa na haki za msingi, ikiambatana na sheria na kanuni ambazo huinuka kutukinga wakati wowote uhitaji unapoibuka. Kwa kusema wazi, si tu wanadamu huwa na madhara ya aina yao wenyewe, lakini kabisa alarmingly madhara wale viumbe ambao hawakuzaliwa na vipawa ubinadamu ni kubarikiwa na. Mtu hawezi kusisitiza vya kutosha juu ya jinsi ilivyo muhimu kuhifadhi na kuhifadhi wanyama wetu wa porini wa eneo hilo, lakini vipi juu ya maisha ya baharini? Kwa mujibu wa Howard Martenstein, mtaalamu wa masuala ya bahari na mwandishi wa vitabu, kasa wa baharini ni sehemu muhimu ya mazingira ya baharini na nchi kavu. "Kama ilivyoelezwa, kasa wa baharini hutegemeza miamba yenye afya kwa kudhibiti sifongo ambayo ingekuwa ikishindana na miamba ya kujenga miamba kwa nafasi, wakati mimea ya dune na pwani inalishwa na kukua kwa afya. ""Mimea yenye afya na mifumo ya mizizi yenye nguvu huzuia mmomonyoko wa baadaye wa pwani." Kwa mfano, kasa ni mnyama anayetambaa, na mara tu wanapofungua mayai yao, wao mara moja huingia kwenye maji ya wazi, ambayo ni mahali ambapo sehemu kubwa ya maisha yao hutumiwa. Wao hutokea kuwa hewa breathers <unk> maana wao <unk>d tu kutumia dakika kadhaa chini ya maji. "Mkurugenzi wa zamani wa Shirika la Ulinzi wa Wanyamapori na Asili, Rukshana Jayawardene, alisema: ""Kikundi cha kamba wa kike huja kwenye pwani ambayo walizaliwa ili kuzaliana." Kiwango cha vifo vya watoto hao ni cha juu sana, kufikia asilimia 90. Ingawa aina hii ya kasa huishi kwa miaka 80 hadi 100, Jayawardena alisema kuwa kutumia muda mwingi baharini kunaweza kuwazuia watafiti wasifanye utafiti wa muda mrefu juu yao. "Hakuna mtu anayeweka kasa hawa katika hali ya utekwa kama vile aquariums, kwa hivyo hata ikiwa wanakufa, hakuna njia ya kujua ni nini urefu wao wa maisha. " "Hii sifa ya kushangaza ya urefu wa maisha inaweza kuwa na uhusiano tata na ule wa lishe yake. Jayawardene alisema kuwa wakati wao huonyesha sifa za omnivorous, kwa kula jellyfish, lishe yake inajumuisha mimea kwa sehemu kubwa. "Wanaenda chini ya bahari na hapa ndipo wanapoishi mimea kama vile mwani wa baharini. ""Kufuatia tukio la kusikitisha la kuuza nyama ya kasa, tulikuwa na haraka kuelewa kwamba sio tu spishi hizi zimeunganishwa na hatari zinazohusiana na tishio la plastiki linaloongezeka, lakini pia zinalazimika kuanguka kwa vitendo vya asili kama hivyo." <unk>Wao ni spishi zinazolindwa. Lakini kuna watu ambao huwakamata na ni sekta ndogo sana ya jamii ambayo hufanya hivyo. Hata hivyo, ni Idara ya Wanyamapori ambayo inahitaji kuwaendesha wahalifu hawa pamoja na Polisi. Wao pia wanatakiwa kuwa na elimu juu ya mada, <unk> alionyesha Jayawardene, wakati akitoa maoni juu ya suala hilo. Ikiwa wako hatarini au la inategemea aina ya spishi. Baadhi ya spishi ziko hatarini mwa kutoweka huku nyingine zikiwa haziko. Tulijulishwa kwamba idadi hiyo ni ndogo sana kuliko ilivyokuwa zamani. Hilo laweza kusababishwa na upotezaji wa makao ya wanyama unaosababishwa na kugeuzwa kwa fuo kuwa maeneo ya utalii. "Kwa bahati mbaya, maeneo salama kwa kasa kuzaliana ni kupungua kwa siku", aliongeza Jayawardene. Hii inawazuia wasirudi kwenye ufuo waliozaliwa ndani yake, licha ya kuwa wamepangwa kufanya hivyo. Ikiwa unajua vyombo vya habari vya kijamii, ni dhahiri kwamba umegongana na idadi kubwa ya machapisho yanayohusu viumbe vya baharini na wakati mwingine hata ndege wa baharini ambao walishindwa na mzaha mkubwa wa plastiki. Miongoni mwao kuna kasa. Kama ilivyotajwa hapo awali, samaki aina ya jellyfish ni sehemu ya lishe ya aina fulani za kasa. "Tisho la kisasa linalokabili spishi hizi ni mifuko ya plastiki katika maji ambayo inaonekana kama jellyfish", alisema Jayawardena. Pia alisema kuwa idadi ya vifaru wanaokufa kutokana na matumizi ya plastiki na politheni ni kubwa sana. "Amesema, ""Hata kama kuna mashirika fulani yanayofanya kazi ya kuhifadhi kasa, kuna matukio ambapo hata hii imetumiwa vibaya kwa ajili ya kuendeleza nia za siri.""" Kwa mfano, wakati kasa wanapofungua viini vyao, watu fulani huhifadhi vifaranga hao wapya ili watalii waweze kuja kuwaona. <unk>Kikapu cha kiume kinachozaliwa kipya kina mfuko wa amniotic katika sehemu ya chini ya ganda lake. Hii hufanya kazi kama kifurushi cha nishati kwa kasa wachanga kuogelea nje ya bahari, juu ya matumbawe, na kisha katika maji ya wazi. Kwa hiyo tatizo la kuhifadhi kasa hawa katika matangi ni kwamba wangeogelea kuzunguka, <unk> alielezea. Jayawardena pia alisema kuwa suala la hili ni kwamba kasa kawaida hutumia nishati hii wakati wanapoachiliwa, na hivyo kutoa athari mbaya kwa utendaji wake wa jumla. Sheria ya Ulinzi wa Mimea na Wanyama ya Bahari ya 1938 (Floura and Fauna Protection Ordinance, 1938), iliyobadilishwa mwaka 1972, inaweka sheria ya kuua, kuua, kuumiza au kumiliki kasa wa baharini au mayai yao. "Wakati wa mkutano wa waandishi wa habari wa kimataifa, Duddley Perera, mwanzilishi wa mradi wa ""Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project"" (KSTCP), alielezea jinsi jamii ya Turtle inavyoweza kuhifadhi wanyama hao." Kwa miaka 31 ya kujitolea, KSTCP ni mradi wa uhifadhi unaofanywa kibinafsi chini ya miongozo ya Idara ya Wanyamapori. Wao hupunguza matukio haya kwa kukusanya mayai ya kasa kutoka masoko, na kuachilia watoto wakati wao huanguliwa. Perera alisema kuwa kwa mujibu wa sheria inayohusiana na suala hili, kumiliki na kuuza mayai ya kasa ni kinyume cha sheria. Maeneo yanayopaswa kuwa mahali pa kuzaliana yana watu wengi sana. Hilo hufanya iwe vigumu kwa watetezi wa mazingira kulinda mayai kwa njia ya asili. Kwa mfano, ni hasa kando ya pwani kuanzia Bentota hadi Galle ambayo inachukuliwa kuwa eneo la kuzaliana la kasa. Kutenganishwa na kutenganishwa kunaweza kuwa changamoto kwa kuwa maeneo haya yanaishi na wanadamu. Kwa hiyo, badala yake, sisi huchukua mayai hayo na kuyaweka mahali salama zaidi na kuwaachilia watoto hao mara tu wanapozaliwa, "alisema Perera. "Pereya alisisitiza kuwa ""ingawa kuuawa kwa kasa katika maeneo haya ni nadra, uchunguzi juu ya ulinzi na uhifadhi wa mayai ya kasa bado ni tatizo la mara kwa mara.""" Mbali na hayo, programu za uelewa na miradi ya utafiti zimeingizwa katika maadili yao.