Monks and Cash Rewards Save Softshell Turtles
SAMBOR DISTRICT, Kratie Province – A sharply dressed usher in a crisp black shirt, black pants and a shiny black tie escorted guests to one of several bungalow-style, private booths at the Mloub Dong restaurant on a recent evening. While the privacy the restaurant offers is an important part of its popularity in Kratie town, it is Mloub Dong’s exclusive menu, recited by the black-clad usher, which attracts the discerning guests who step out of luxury vehicles in the car park. … Serving a plate of fried, softshell turtle, a waiter was unambiguous about its culinary status: “Maybe it’s not legal,” he said with a grin. Cantor’s giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) was thought to be extinct in the Mekong River until 2007, when Conservation International (C.I.) staff found a specimen in a fisherman’s net in Kratie province. The discovery received international attention, and their apparent abundance in Kratie was labeled as the last viable population, vital to saving the species from complete extinction. Protecting the pointy-nosed turtle, which can grow up to 2 meters across and can weigh up to 45 kg, is not easy, said Phuong Chantha, a monk who works at the Mekong Turtle Conservation Center (MTCC), which opened in 2011 on the grounds of the historic 100-pillar pagoda in Sambor district. … Since 2007, the number of softshell turtle nests found by conservationists increased from an initial three to a healthy 83 last year. The majority of newborns fall prey to birds, snakes and fish, so when hatchlings are taken to the conservation center, they are reared for several months before being released when they have a better chance of survival. Although it is not known how many turtles have survived to maturity, the MTCC prides itself on having released about 4,500 hatchlings into the wild. …
Khy Sovuthy and Denise Hruby
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/monks-and-cash-rewards-save-softshell-turtles-49329/
