Turtles Endangered!

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Turtles Endangered!

By Gemma Q. Casas, Variety News Staff

THE CNMI’s sea turtle population is now less than 200, according to an official of the Division of Fish and Wildlife who spoke to students of Grace Christian Academy yesterday. Joe Ruak, DFW's Public Information Officer and Aquatic Education Specialist, told students that they must do their share in preserving the turtles by not harming them, reporting turtle injuries to authorities and campaigning for their preservation.

The population of sea turtles here is really very low. The estimate is less than 200, Ruak said. He said DFW has no data on how many turtles were in the CNMI prior to the counting made in 1999. We don’t have a baseline data to base that from. But from a survey that was conducted here back in 1999, we found that it was less than 200, he said. Ruak said informing students about the different aquatic species and animals in the CNMI is among the government’s efforts to create environmental awareness in the local community.

Ruak said a turtle is considered a local delicacy, but he urged the students not to continue this because we need to preserve sea turtles so that future generations can see, appreciate, and respect them. Turtles are particularly a good dish. It’s a delicacy here in the CNMI. A lot of locals, especially Chamorro and Carolinian people, talk about eating sea turtles as part of their culture, therefore, they have a cultural right, Ruak said. But we also like to emphasize that sea turtles need to be at least 20 years old to become sexually mature, to start having babies. Many of the sea turtles that are being caught right now are really just juveniles. They are not even ready to lay eggs, he said. He said a female turtle lays about 1,000 eggs. But only 1 percent of them have the chance of maturing. If anybody sees a turtle, we encourage them to leave it alone. If it’s an injured turtle please call the fish and wildlife or call 911. If there are eggs, leave the eggs alone, he said. He added that since sea turtles are considered an endangered species, there is a federal penalty against harming or disturbing sea turtles and their eggs. Sea turtle nests have been seen at Tank Beach, Bird Island Beach, Obyan Beach, Coral Ocean Point, Laulau Beach and Wing Beach.

- This is a very nice article and which use the title Turtles Endangered implicated that the turtles are still dangerous here. The reason is that local people used to follow their culture to eat turtles then cause the population of turtles down to less than 200. also, it talk about that a mature six turtle have to live over 20 years then can lay the eggs, but only one percent of the 1,000 eggs can become a small turtles. So, we can see how difficult to continues the turtle population. I remember that since 2003 I first came to Saipan I can see turtle easily swim under the suicide cliff. Yet, it’s hard to see them recently. In China, people also like to eat turtle and they believe that are good for human healthy. But they don’t catch the turtle in the ocean; they feed them in the home and sale to the market. Saipan is a nice and beautiful place. It very pity to lose of the view of turtle swim under the suicide cliff. Also, some tourist heard believe that to see the turtle swim under the suicide cliff that mean lucky and most tourist come to Saipan want to see it. So, Please protect turtle and beatify CNMI.