Endangered Hawksbill turtles released off Singapore

[CFOh]

Endangered Hawksbill turtles released off Singapore

(AFP) – 4 hours ago

The Hawksbill shell is used to make products like combs, ornamental hairpins and glasses frames

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hq668CLl6K_HdtGUdtxL5aLx1btw

SINGAPORE — Thirteen endangered sea turtles born and bred in Japan were released off Singapore waters Tuesday as part of efforts to conserve the species.

The five one-year-olds and eight three-year-olds are the offspring of Hawksbill turtles donated by the Underwater World Singapore aquarium to the Port of Nagoya aquarium in 1997 and 2002.

They were brought to Singapore earlier this year and kept at the Underwater World aquarium before the eventual release into their natural habitat.

"I feel a sense of great relief because the turtles are where they belong,' George Balazs, biologist and leader of marine turtle research at the Hawaii-based Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

"Sea turtles in the sea," the scientist said after the last turtle swam into the water.

The three-year-olds were fitted with satellite tracking devices so that scientists can follow their progress.

The turtles were first transported in boxes from nearby Sentosa island and then released on a stretch of beach on Big Sister's Island.

They crawled down the beach to the water's edge and disappeared into the sea as conservationists, scientists, students and the media erupted into cheers and applause.

"This release project has our strong desire that we want to return those Japanese-born turtles to Singaporean sea (which is) the native place of their parents," said Makoto Soichi, director with the Nagoya aquarium.

Underwater World Singapore said cooperation was key to efforts to conserve turtles which are regarded as a delicacy in parts of Asia.

"We hope that our integrated and collaborative efforts will contribute to our better understanding of Hawksbill turtle behaviour and improve turtle conservation efforts," said Peter chew, deputy general manager of the Singapore aquarium.

Turtle soup is a delicacy in parts of Asia and turtle shells are crushed into powder for use in a jelly dessert.

The Hawksbill shell is also used to make products like combs, ornamental hairpins and glasses frames.

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Speech from Hawksbill turtle tag and release event

Tue, Aug 24, 2010

AsiaOne

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100824-233662.html

Full text of speech by Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, Parliamentary Secretary for National Development:

Mr Chng Hwee Hong, Executive Director, Haw Par Corporation and Deputy Chairman, Underwater World Singapore,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Students and Teachers,

Good afternoon. I am happy to join you today at Big Sister's Island for the Hawksbill Turtle Tag and Release event. I note that the event, hosted by the Underwater World Singapore, has been organised in commemoration of the International Year of Biodiversity.

The United Nations has declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of the variety of life on Earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. As we learn to appreciate the wonders of nature, it is important that we also understand that everyone is dependent on nature and the natural ecosystems that support biodiversity. It is important that all parties come together to share their knowledge and experience on how best to safeguard the Earth's biodiversity.

Singapore, despite being a small country with competing needs for limited resources, has strived to balance economic development and biodiversity conservation. We are also committed to contributing to biodiversity conservation at the international level. In fact, Singapore is working with the Convention on Biological Diversity (or CBD) Secretariat on developing the CBD-led Cities' Biodiversity Index. This is being done in partnership with the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity . There is currently a lack of self-assessment tools that cities can use in measuring their conservation efforts. The Cities' Biodiversity Index will hence go towards helping cities benchmark their biodiversity conservation efforts over time.

I would like to applaud the joint collaborative effort of Underwater World Singapore (UWS), the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium of Japan (PNPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of USA (NOAA) to conserve the Hawksbill turtle. This species of turtle is internationally acknowledged as endangered and is listed as "critically endangered" in The Singapore Red Data Book - a source of reference for conservation plans and efforts of various governmental and non-governmental organisations published by Nature Society, Singapore.

I understand that satellite-tracking devices will be fitted on the turtles that will be released today to study their migratory behaviour, and the results would be shared at various international scientific forums this year. This study will help us to better understand the behaviour of Hawksbill turtles and improve turtle conservation efforts.

I am pleased to see that students and forum participants from this morning's multidisciplinary forum on turtle conservation have joined us for the turtle release. With concerted and coordinated efforts by scientists, and the passionate support of individuals like you, our biodiversity conservation efforts will continue to be strengthened. If we work hard today, our children and grandchildren will also get their chance to enjoy the richness of nature that we today enjoy. Thank you.