Extinct turtles?

Compare the reports from the UN Environment programme which appeared in cosmosmagazine the 8th August 2006 and the feedback from the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) which appeared in thestar of 10th August 2006. What is the difference between "declined drastically"” and "“effectively extinct"”. The Tumec head disputes the effectively extinct verdict in the UN report.

He said the authorities found five nesting places with 336 eggs of two leatherback turtles this year compared to one nesting place with 90 eggs in 2005. In 2003, 14 leatherback nesting places, with 1,083 eggs, were detected while in 2004, five nesting places with 295 eggs were found.

I do not see any encouraging news from those statistics. Anyone can see that two turtles landing is a very dismal figure and this is already August 2006. Yes, I guess we can try and save the whole population starting from those two but isn't this a case of too little too late. That has always been the predicament faced by those involved with conservation in Malaysia. There is a lot of talk but any action taken leaves much to be desired. Lack of political will is one of the major contributing factors to this situation. I doubt the situation will change that much unless and until those in power realize that the non-human population is also important to this country.

We have inadvertently killed the goose that lay the golden egg.

Picture from cosmosmagazine