Although rare sea turtles exist in the Arakan region, environmental conservation activists say that these turtles are being hunted, slaughtered, and sold, while their eggs are treated as commercial products in the market. As a result, the number of sea turtle deaths is increasing, putting them at risk of extinction.
Since the outbreak of the decisive war in Arakan, the Myanmar junta has blocked all land and water routes in the region. However, there are reports that sea turtle eggs from Arakan are being smuggled and sold as far as Yangon.
These rare sea turtle eggs are being illegally collected from Nantha Island in Rathedaung Township, a Ramsar wetland site, and transported from Sittwe to Yangon by air for sale.
Initially, each turtle egg was sold for as much as 5,000 kyats in Yangon. However, due to a decline in buyers, the price was later reduced to 4,500 kyats per egg.
Currently, sea turtle eggs are still being sold at 4,000 kyats per egg. While the Myanmar junta does not allow civilians in Sittwe to flee the conflict, it permits the smuggling and sale of these rare turtle eggs.
These eggs are being illegally transported from areas controlled by the junta’s naval forces. According to confirmations from interviews conducted by Border News Agency, those selling the eggs in Yangon are sourcing them through Sittwe.
Environmental conservation activists say that despite being designated as a Ramsar Site to protect wetlands worldwide, rare sea turtles in Arakan’s Ramsar-protected area are being hunted and slaughtered. However, responsible authorities have yet to take any action against these activities.
Conservationists say that Nantha Island in Rathedaung Township, a Ramsar wetland site in Arakan, was once a regular nesting ground for sea turtles. However, due to the illegal collection and sale of their eggs, as well as hunting and slaughter, their numbers have drastically declined.
With the ongoing conflict in the region, these rare sea turtles now face a severe risk of extinction, posing a major conservation crisis, according to those working to protect them.
Locals report that Gwa Township’s Kyeintali town, which is under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), once had designated sea turtle conservation zones. However, since the battle for Kyeintali began, these areas have been left unprotected.
Globally, there are seven species of sea turtles, with six found in ASEAN waters. Conservationists state that Myanmar is home to five of these species.
The sea turtles found in Myanmar include the Printhar Turtle (Green Turtle), the Saunglyar Turtle (Leatherback Turtle), the Kyettuywe Turtle (Hawksbill Turtle), the Khway Turtle (Loggerhead Turtle), and the Hlounq Turtle (Olive Ridley’s Turtle).
However, since 2015, conservation researchers have observed that only the Green Turtle (Printhar Turtle) is predominantly nesting along the coastal regions, with little to no sightings of other species, according to their studies on marine conservation.
