IPB Students Develop Turtle Conservation and Ecotourism in Mukomuko, Thursday, August 13, 2014 http://news.ipb.ac.id Posted by admin on 20 August 2014

Turtle or sea turtle is a protected marine biota. There are six species of turtle living in Indonesian waters. The Natural Tourism Park (TWA) of Black Water is one of the ideal habitats for turtle nesting because the site of 17 km long is located on the west coast of Island and directly in contact with the Indian Ocean. In this area there are four species of sea turtles: Green Turtle, Hawksbill, Lekang turtles Belimbing turtles. According to IUCN (2013), the status of the turtles are respectively endangered (threatened to extinction), critically endangered, endangered (threatened to extinction) and vulnerable to extinction). Currently, the threats to sea turtles are the trading of turtle eggs and the coastal change into plantations.

It was Muhammad Khaisu Fisabilillah, Widyanti Octoriana, Eka Maulana Hermawan, Gusti Maharani, and Owanda Alam, who initiated the "Community Movement of Loving Turtles (MCP): Efforts in Improving the Awareness of the People Around The Natural Tourism Park (TWA) of Black Water for Turtle Conservation in Mukomuko of Bengkulu Province". This activity is a Division of Student Creativity Community Service Program (PKMM) funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture, in 2014, under the guidance by Beginer Subhan M.Si, a lecturer of the Department of Marine Science and Technology (ITK) IPB.

Khaisu said, the purpose of Turtle Loving Movement is to invite the public to love, protect and preserve the marine turtle species. Further, people are expected to realize that the turtle has the potential for development in order to improve their welfare. Beginer Subhan M.Si asserts that this activity becomes the means of performing critical capacity and IPB’s student awareness of the social problems, in addition to the students providing solutions to these problems.

Khaisu also said that a series of implementable activities is the major activity in the Movement. This student of ITK IPB explains that some similar activities have also been carried out, including Turtle Conservation Extension (PENKOP), Turtle Population Monitoring (MONEP), Training on CatchingYoung Turtles, Releasing Young Turtles, and Handicraft Training.

As a concrete step, Khaisu et al, with IPB alumni in Bengkulu will develop Turtle Loving Community movement into a foundation called Bengkulu Sea Turtles Foundation (BSTF). The activities of the Foundation will continue conservation activities in greater volume and wider region to cover 7 regencies/towns in the coastal province of Bengkulu. This native fellow of Bengkulu also hopes that this activity can be a sustainable model project. (mtd)