Introduction to Project Orion II

Project Orion II - Rovering with Turtles
is the 4th Scouts of the World Award (SWA) Voluntary Service Project of the SWA Singapore Base.

The 2nd installment of this project will be led by 9 youths from Singapore and they will return to Setiu, Terengganu, where the pioneer team had left their legacy a year ago.

The primary aim of the team would be the conservation of sea turtles, but that would not be their only contribution during the project duration of 26th June to 10th July. The 9 passionate youths will also be involved in mangrove replanting, repair work for the villagers and WWF info centre and English and conservation awareness education for the children.


"Leave the place a little better than you first found it." - Lord Baden Powell

Friday, July 23, 2010

Turtles threatened by litter at Eraring outlet

23 Jul, 2010 04:00 AM

Anglers have been warned to stop littering at Eraring power station’s outlet and inlet canals if they want to keep fishing there.

Authorities say rubbish threatens marine turtles and questions have been raised about whether fishing should be banned in the canals.

Turtles are protected and threatened and at least three are living in the outlet canal.

John Larkins, of Toronto Bait and Tackle, said he was concerned for the turtles.

‘‘There’s a lot of rubbish down there, it’s ridiculous,’’ Mr Larkins said.

‘‘If the plastic bags or fishing line gets in the water, nine times of out ten the turtle will eat it thinking it’s a squid.

‘‘Greenies are trying to shut waterways down and this gives them an opportunity to say ‘why should you be able to fish there’.’’

Many bait packets were discarded at the canal and beer bottles ‘‘smashed all over the rocks’’, he said.

Turtle enthusiast Alison Dunne said turtles were a threatened species and marine debris was considered a ‘‘key threatening process’’.

‘‘How can they knowingly allow the two to be mixed?’’ she said. ‘‘They have talked about banning fishing activity when the turtles are present, but no one wants to say it because it’s so unpopular.’’

A Department of Environment and Climate Change spokeswoman said the community should be aware of the ‘‘devastating effect of discarding disused or tangled fishing line and other debris’’.

‘‘Entanglement and ingestion of debris, such as plastic bags, cigarette butts, lolly wrappers and discarded fishing gear can be fatal to marine species, particularly threatened species such as turtles, seabirds and whales,’’ she said.

The creatures ‘‘don’t know the difference between harmful debris and food until it becomes stuck in their stomachs.’’

An Eraring spokeswoman said the outlet was cleaned daily and extra clean-ups were done during school holidays at the inlet canal.

Gulin

No comments:

Post a Comment