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Setiu River Terrapin Research and Recovery Program. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Setiu River Terrapin Research and Recovery
Program
Nes
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ank
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Set
iu R
iver
E.H. Chan*, G. Kuchling, C. L. Soh* and P. N. Chen* *Turtle Research and Rehabilitation
Group Institute of Oceanography University
Malaysia Terengganu
A lotus flower from the Setiu River, June 2008
Thank You!•Rick and Symposium sponsors for a travel grant
•Hugh for urging me to attend this conference
•TCF, TSA and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for seed grants
•Current project sponsors: Terengganu State Government
University Malaysia Terengganu Aquaria KLCC
Participants of STOP (Save our Turtles Outreach Program)
•My bosses in the university for approving my travel
•Local villagers of the Setiu River for assistance, support
and participation
Southern river terrapin, recently assigned its new name, Batagur affinis (Praschag et al 2008)
•One of the most critically endangered river turtles in the world•Extirpated in its range, viable wild populations found only in Malaysia•Known to occur in 5 river systems in Malaysia, with current collective nesting density of 200 nests per year •Conservation programs carried out by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Malaysia, with captive breeding programs in 2 states.
Redang Island
Setiu River
South China Sea
State of Terengganu
(land area of about 13,000 km2
and population a little over 1 million)
40 km in length, 4 known nesting banks for Ba
River No. of Nests
Besut River No records
Setiu River 23
Terengganu River
99
Dungun River 13
Paka River No records
Total Nests for 2008
135
Ba nesting status in Terengganu in 2008
Ba conservation program of DWLNP does not cover Setiu River
Setiu River Terrapin Research and Recovery Program initiated in 2004 to fill in this gap.
If terrapins fail to lay, they are brought to the villager’s house and held in small tanks and a few nights later are put in trenches to induce laying. Practice clearly undesirable.
Villagers waiting by nesting banks for river terrapins to ascend during nesting season from mid January to Mid-March
Setiu river terrapin population subjected to intense egg exploitation for decades
A branch of the Setiu River
Approach adopted by project:
Encourage local villagers to sell the eggs to the project for incubation.
Raise funds to purchase eggs from local villagers
Engage villager from local community to help buy the eggs for incubation.
Initially egg incubation carried out in the university
Starting 2007, egg incubation carried out in the village by a local village family.
Within the university, develop research projects to answer specific conservation needs of the terrapins.
Project components, output and developments presented in 2005 ASCBFTT
This presentation will highlight project activities carried out from 2004 -2008.
The Practical Aspects of the Conservation ProgramLocal community participation integral part of program
Lina, fisherman’s wife helps to buy eggs from local villagers
Eggs incubated in the village by Lina
Lina’s daughter, Nurqis gets to see terrapin hatchlings for the first time in her life
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Eggs purchased 364 278 384 229 245
Eggs hatched 236 147 275 180 139
Hatch rate 65 % 52 % 71 % 79 % 57 %
Total eggs incubated : 1500 since 2004
Total hatchlings produced : 977
Hatchlings raised for 3 years in tanks before release
Size attained in 3 yrs: 1.8 kg, SCL: 24 cm, SCW:20 cm
Egg purchase, incubation , and hatching success from 2004 - 2008
Terrapin releases now celebrated as “Annual Terrapin Independence Day”
Villag
e scho
ol kid
s
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008
No. released
150 40 50 88
Record of terrapin releases
Total released : 328State Dignitaries and guests
Release by village elders and egg collectors
Activities Held in Conjunction with Terrapin Independence Day
Exhibitions and displays in local schools
Explanation of project achievements to villagers
Art and craftPerformances Gifts of appreciation
Parade of decorated boats by the villagers
71 year-old Pak Harun, the winner
Activities Held in Conjunction with Terrapin Independence Day
Research Projects
1. Endoscopic sex determination and TSD studies
2. Feeding experiments
3. Monitoring of head-started Ba by a sampling program using large-mesh gill nets
4. Tracking the movements of head-started Ba after release.
1. Endoscopic sex determination and TSD studies made possible with the collaboration of Gerald Kuchling
Findings
2004 : All eggs incubated in styrofoam boxes kept indoors at room temp. produced 100% male terrapins.
1st trimester 2nd Trimester 3rd Trimester M : F ratio Intersex
29.7 + 1.0 oC 30.5 + 1.2 oC 29.4 + 1.0 oC 24 : 6 0
- 31.7 + 1.0 oC 31.7 + 0.9 oC 5 : 8 2
2005 (temperatures not monitored)
Incubation room (set at 34oC, ) : 100% FIncubation box (set at 28 - 29 oC) : 100% M Incubation box (set at 31 – 33 oC): 100% F
(hatch rates at 33 and 34oC very low)
2006 (temperatures monitored by I-buttons)
2. Feeding experiments
Experiments carried out to determine• optimal food • feeding regimes /rations• Satiation amounts • Stocking density
General conclusions:
Food: Tilapia pellets suppl. with water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)
Ration: 2% body weight per day, offered over 2 feedings per day
Stocking density : no more than 60g/l of water
Graduate student Pelf carrying out the feeding experiments
Ipomoea aquatica
3. Monitoring of head-started and wild Ba using large-mesh gill nets (mesh size 25.4 cm, 5.5 m deep, 30 – 36 m long)
Capture of wild adult Ba (generally poor)
• 2003 : 4 male and 1 female adult wild Ba
• 2004/05 : 4 adult female Ba
• 2005/06 : 1 male and 3 female adult Ba
Recaptures of head-started Ba•Low recapture rates•Of 20 4-yr olds released in July 2003, only 3 recaptured within the next 2 months, one (B31) recaptured in 2005 (final weight gain of 2.6 kg)•Of 50 3-yr olds released in Aug. 2003, only 7 recaptured within the following 2 months, one (B66) recaptured in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (final weight gain of 3 kg)•Of 150 1-yr old released in 2005, only 1 recaptured in 2006 (weight gain of 0.3 kg)
Recapture data indicative of ability of head-started terrapins to survive and grow in the wild after release
4. Tracking the movements of head-started terrapins after release
•aim : to determine survival and performance of head-started terrapins
•In 2007, radio tracking was attempted, but radio waves failed to transmit through brackish water.
•2008, ultrasonic tracking attempted.
•4 terrapins of varying sizes deployed with VEMCO (V9, V13, V16) ultrasonic transmitters
Collaborator: Prof. Tom Herman
11507 and 11521 : lost contact after a week
11516 : lost contact afer one month
11509 : last date detected : 9 Sept 2008
Point of release
Location fixes of 4 Ba tracked using ultrasonic transmitters
We need to fine-tune our methodologies to increase contact rates with tagged terrapins
• The Setiu River project has demonstrated willingness of local villagers to participate in terrapin conservation.
• Monetary gains to participating villager/s has to be ensured.
• Challenge is to raise necessary funding to extend the project to other nesting banks currently not protected by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Malaysia.
• Threats (sand-mining, fishing mortality, pollutants from agricultural activities) need to be addressed.
• Need to explore ways to ensure project continuity and sustainability.
Concluding Remarks