A struggle for survival

The west coast portion of Zamboanga is known as the industrial zone of the city. Its shores are dotted with numerous residential homes and factories engaged in canning, farming and plywood manufacturing as well as shipyard (locally known as varaderos). Its offshore areas are dedicated to agar-agar culture and as fishing grounds for marginal fishermen. Despite these modern activities, there’s a small undisturbed niche in her crowded shoreline where a marine turtle was found lately laying its eggs there.

Under a waning quarter moon on May 30, Enrico Minor, a security guard on duty at the M&S Co. Inc., a plywood manufacturing firm in Barangay Recodo, noticed a round silhouette crawling at the beach. When he approached it, he discovered that it was a big turtle laying eggs in the sand. He immediately notified the plant manager of his discovery and the latter called up the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to report the find.

DENR-Region 9 technical director Eduardo Bisquera Jr. immediately dispatched a team to investigate. In a subsequent report submitted by team leader environment specialist Luis Lozano, the marine turtle was identified as a female Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), in good health with no visible signs of injury and was measured at 69 centimeters across its carapace. The marine turtle popularly known as pawikan, was released back to the sea.

Marine turtles (tortuga in the chabacano dialect), are large air-breathing reptiles said to have outlived the dinosaurs and remained unchanged for 200 million years. Well adapted to life at sea, they are known as great ocean navigators as they travel to feeding and development habitats thousands of kilometers away. When they reach breeding age of around 20 to 30 years old, they travel back to their place of birth to nest. How they navigate these great distances is not completely known. It is theorized, however, that the magnetic field of their place of birth is imprinted upon them as hatchlings. This is comparable to the great Salmon migration that occurs annually in the rivers of Alaska.

Of the seven existing species of marine turtles, five can be found in the Philippines, namely: Green turtle (Chelonia mydas); Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata); Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea); Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta); and Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Their diet consist mainly of sea grass, algae, sponges, mollusks, crustaceans, fish, worms, jellyfish, fish eggs and sea squirts.

There is now a need to protect our sea turtles. Their population is fast declining due to excessive hunting and gathering of their eggs. The eggs and meat are taken as food while their skins and shells are processed into various by-products. Illegal trade, trawling, illegal fishing methods as well as habitat destruction due to pollution also contribute in the decrease of their population. As a result, the local population of marine turtles has dropped to dangerously low levels. In fact, the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) has categorized marine turtles as endangered species.

In response, Executive Order No. 542 was issued last June 26, 1979 giving birth to Task Force Pawikan and later became the Pawikan Conservation Project (PCP). It is being implemented by the DENR. The project has formulated and implemented conservation strategies focusing on three major components: resource management and protection; research and investigation; and information and extension services.

Ministry of Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 12 Series of 1979 paved the way for the creation of Marine Turtle Sanctuaries in the following islands: Baguan, Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi; Bacauan, Mapun in Tawi-Tawi; Halog, Tanoban, El Nido, Kota and Panata Cay in Palawan; Panagatan and the municipality of Caluya in Antique.

Today, under Republic Act No. 9147 or the Conservation of Protection of Wildlife Resources Act, the killing and destroying of wildlife species particularly those categorized listed as endangered, like the marine turtles, carries the penalty of "imprisonment from four years and one day to six years and/or a fine of P50,000 to P500,000."

The discovery of a nesting marine turtle in the shorelines of this city has generated a public clamor advocacy geared not only for the protection of the marine turtles but also include its nesting grounds. Barangay Fisheries Aquatic Resources Management Council (BFARMC) chairman Vicente Gregorio, one of those who witnessed the tagging and releasing of the Olive ridley, pledged that he will submit a joint resolution together with officials of Barangay Recodo and the M&S Co. Inc. as the initial setup towards the establishing the said area as a Marine Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary.

Protecting Marine Turtles

Marine turtles play an important role in the ecosystem as they serve as the barometer of our planet’s health. Their mere presence in a particular area helps confirm the good health of the coral reefs and the different marine life. Here’s how we could protect marine turtles and their habitats.

• Never kill or injure marine turtles.

• Avoid the use of sodium cyanide and dynamites while fishing as they destroy the entire marine ecosystem.

• Do no gather, buy or sell marine turtle eggs. Do not also buy or sell turtle meat and other by-products.

• Report people engaged in these illegal activities to the nearest DENR office. If you see a turtle with a metal tag attached to it, write on a piece of paper the serial number, turtle species, and where and when it was encountered. Do not remove the tag. The data collected will be used in the immigration studies being conducted by the Pawikan Conservation Project.

For any information the public is likewise advised to contact the following: Pawikan Conservation Project, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NAPWNC, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City 1100 with tel. nos. (02) 924-6031 to 35 or e-mail at [email protected] or the Protected Areas Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management Services, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 9, Lantawan Pasonanca, Zamboanga City with tel. nos. (062) 985-0445 or any local DENR office.