Independent Photographer
Paloh turtle nesting beach is the second largest turtle population contributor along the Malaysian Peninsula coastline to the Sulu Sulawesi sea. Of the six sea turtle species found in Indonesian waters, four of them can be found in the Paloh coastal area such as green, hawksbill, Olive Ridley and leatherback turtles. Of the four types of sea turtles, almost 98% of the number of sea turtles that land on Paloh beach are green sea turtles.
Indonesia has twelve major turtle nesting beaches, and one of the longest is the 63-kilometer Paloh turtle nesting beach. Every year approximately 3,700 turtles land on Paloh beach and almost half of them perform nesting activities. Administratively, Paloh beach is included in the Paloh District, Sambas Regency which borders directly with Malaysia at the northern end of the West Kalimantan coast known as the Tail of Borneo.
Four species of sea turtles on Paloh's nesting beaches are threatened by human activities. In the ecosystem chain, human activity is the main predator that causes the loss of sea turtle populations on Paloh beach from various threats such as poaching and trade in sea turtle eggs for consumption with the aim of selling to the Malaysian market. The geographical location of Paloh beach, which is directly adjacent to Malaysia and the high selling price of sea turtle eggs, causes poaching and trade of sea turtle eggs along the Paloh coast to continue.
Seven countries contribute to plastic waste along the Paloh turtle nesting beach. During the stormy season, Paloh beach, which connects North Natuna waters with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and China, becomes an important crossing route for ships between countries and also a route for marine debris that lands along Paloh beach. Most of the debris found is in the form of plastic waste and mineral water bottle packaging and organic waste which greatly disrupts the process of turtles laying eggs when they want to make nests. In addition to the threat of plastic waste, fishing activities of fishing gear that are thrown into the sea (ghostnet) and are not environmentally friendly, are also a threat to sea turtle habitat in Paloh coastal waters, almost most fishermen on the Paloh coast experience bycatch of sea turtles and cause cases of death.
In addition to human activities, global warming is one of the natural factors that can threaten the decline of sea turtle populations, especially in Paloh beach. An increase in earth temperature greatly affects sea turtle reproduction, the temperature required for the hatching process of sea turtle eggs is between 24-33 ° C. If the temperature is too high, it will make the hatchlings dominated by the female sex, resulting in a reduced male turtle population and can interfere with the fertilization process in females due to the unavailability of male turtles.
The existence of sea turtles plays a major role as well as an important link in the global ecosystem. As the maritime axis of the world, Indonesia is a country that has 70% of the water area as well as home to sea turtle populations, especially along the Paloh sea turtle nesting beach. Sea turtles are ancient animals that are protected as indicators as well as guardians of the balance of coastal and marine ecosystems that must be preserved so that they are not endangered.