KOTA KINABALU: More turtles are returning to the diving haven of Pulau Sipadan after a move to limit visitors was made.
State Secretary Datuk K.Y. Mustafa said Sabah Parks personnel recorded 507 turtle landings between April last year and February this year.
Of these, 502 were green turtles that laid nearly 46,000 eggs. Five were leatherback turtles which laid 502 eggs.
“More than 17,000 of the eggs have hatched,” Mustafa said during a visit to Sipadan two days ago.
He said since the government decided to demolish all resort accommodation on the island and to limit the number of visitors to 120 per day, more trees and other plants have grown.
Mustafa said that to ensure better management of the island, he would meet various agencies and tourism companies involved in taking divers to Sipadan.
“Ultimately, we want to see a more co-ordinated entry of tourists and divers to Sipadan,” he added.
On security on Sipadan, where 21 tourists and resort workers were kidnapped and held in the southern Philippine island of Jolo for six months in 2000, Mustafa said he was satisfied with the measures in place.
Sabah Parks director Datuk Lamri Ali said a tourism centre would be built on the island over the next few years.
Source: The Star
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