KOTA KINABALU: Marine life conservationists and divers in Sabah have called for an end to what they say is an unethical method of tagging turtles which involves tying the animals’ front flippers and bringing them up to the surface at a rapid pace.
Marine conservation group Green Semporna claimed researchers from a university in Sabah had been using this method at Mabul Island off the state district.
Its co-founder Adzmin Fatta said the procedure, which sees the turtles “shot” to the surface using lift bags, could endanger the animals.
“Local dive instructors and conservationists are concerned because it will cause decompression sickness or DCS, which may harm the lives of the turtles,” he told FMT.
“The method is unethical and it’s a cruel way to bring turtles to the surface just for tagging. There are scientific papers proving that DCS can happen to turtles as well, not just humans.”
He added that while the group is not against conducting research on turtles, it does not agree with the methods used.
DCS, also known as divers’ disease or the bends, is a condition caused by bubbles which form in the blood and other body parts if someone who spends a long time in the water returns too quickly to the surface.
These bubbles may block the flow of blood and starve the body of oxygen. DCS can produce many symptoms, the effects of which vary from joint pain and rashes to paralysis and death.
FMT has reached out to the university in question and is awaiting a response.
Turtle expert Nicolas J Pilcher agreed that this method of tagging could be fatal to the animals. He too said there were many research papers on turtles getting DCS.
Noting that such animals have been in the water for a long time, Pilcher, who is executive director of the Marine Research Foundation, said they do not have time to dissolve the gases in their bodies when they are “skyrocketed” to the surface.
“The worst that could happen is, this could kill them. In less serious cases, they won’t die but it could impact the way that they swim, feed and mate, among others.
“This method is not only unethical but unnecessary. It is a long-standing issue and I have raised concerns about it before,” he said, adding that there are many other, safer, methods to bring turtles to the surface for tagging.
The Semporna Professional Divers Association (SPDA) meanwhile said diving instructors in Mabul had recently found dead turtles with ropes tied around them.
However, SPDA deputy president Dahlan Maizin said it could not be determined whether this was related to research activity or the illegal capture of the animals.
“One of us took part in research work a few years ago and took a video of the process,” he told FMT.
“The footage showed a group of divers taking the turtles from the water to the surface (to be tagged on the boat), using a lift bag.”
He said the video, which was uploaded to the group’s Facebook page, had received plenty of negative feedback.
Dahlan, who has been diving in Mabul for almost 10 years now, added that turtles at the dive sites are no longer as friendly towards divers as they used to be.
He said researchers who conduct studies only a few times a year might not notice such behavioural changes.
“For us who dive here every day, the turtles swim away from human beings, and there are not as many of them as before,” he said.
Adzmin meanwhile criticised resorts and tourism operators which offer turtle tagging through this method as part of their tourism packages.
He said this goes against the policy of safeguarding these animals, which are a protected species under state laws.
“The public, and tourists in particular, don’t have the skills or knowledge needed to catch and tag turtles.
“Only experts or authorised personnel like wildlife officers are allowed to handle them,” he said.
“And what message are they sending to the public? We are told not to touch or harass turtles, yet tourists are given this chance under the guise of research and conservation.”
He urged the Sabah Wildlife Department to look into the matter, adding that experts and researchers should also discuss the best methods for turtle tagging.
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