The article below is written by Bernard after he visited TCC in May 2010 and is published in the September 2010 issue of La Tortue.

Bernard was kind enough to provide a short translation to the article above:

… Bernard Devaux was met by Chan Eng Heng and her colleague Chen Pelf Nyok, and we headed for Mangkok, to see the work the two scientists had been doing on two very unusual and relatively threatened turtles, Batagur affinis and Batagur borneoensis. Turtle Conservation Centre is a small but attractive traditional wooden building on stilts. Visiting Malays and tourists can tour a small, beautifully arranged museum and see the conservation work the team is doing. The problem is that for many years, the villagers have been eating the eggs of these species. The idea of TCC is to counter this, saving the eggs by buying them from fishermen and egg collectors. The eggs are then incubated and the juveniles released into the wild. This helps preserve the two species. We helped Chan in her work with a fisherman who brought her turtles collected from the river. The turtles were marked, weighed, then immediately released. In this way, the fisherman earns a living, while the turtles are spared. It’s good work for the locals and the only employment available in the area since the villagers are accustomed to use the turtles for both food and earn a little cash…

About Bernard Devaux – In 1986, Bernard created the SOPTOM association (Station d’Observation et de Protection des Tortues et de leurs Milieux) [Station for the Observation and Protection of Turtles and their Habitats] in order to study and protect the Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni). He then created the Village des Tortues (Turtle Village) in Gonfaron in southern France in 1988. The idea was to finance conservation by opening a visitor center that was not only scientific but also accessible to the public. Spurred on by the success of the concept, he opened the first Turtle Clinic in Europe (1989) followed by other Turtle Villages in Corsica (at Moltifao in 1992), Senegal (at Noflaye in 1995), and Madagascar (at Ifaty in 2003).

The above is excerpted from the Turtle Survival Alliance Facebook Fan Page

The article on the TCC jointly written by the TCC CEO and TSA President that appeared on pages 90-93 of the August 2009 TSA Newsletter is reproduced in full below:

*Note: The “turtle institute” mentioned in the first paragraph has been renamed to the Turtle Conservation Centre.

Date: 8 August 2009
Source: The New Straits Times

Long ago, abundant turtle landings in Rantau Abang crowned Terengganu with the “turtle state” moniker. The turtle population may have dwindled over the past few decades, but a soon-to-be-set-up conservation centre in another part of Terengganu will allow the state to keep its nickname, SEAN AUGUSTIN reports.

IN the next year or so, a drive to Penarik will be an interesting one. And it is not just due to the scenic route, where coconut trees dot the sandy white beaches or the serene blue ocean. It is because the site will also be home to the Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC).

The objective of the centre, to be located on a 3.2ha plot, is the conservation of the species as well as a site for research and outreach programmes.

Malaysian Nature Society president Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor told the New Straits Times that these would include educational campaigns, volunteer and fund-raising activities.

The TCC will also aim to restore the depleted wild populations of freshwater, terrestrial and marine turtles in the country, especially in northern Terengganu. Freshwater and marine turtle conservation work in Penarik is now carried out by three agencies, namely the state Fisheries Department, World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

The establishment of the conservation centre in Penarik, which has been described in the past as a stronghold for the survival of river and painted terrapins, will allow for the coordination of activities by the three agencies.

Even better, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin is poised to become its patron.

Salleh said the king has consented to the setting up of the centre in Penarik, Setiu, “without hesitation” after the former had sought an audience with him in May.

“Hopefully, the centre will also become an ideal site for eco-tourism, which is a huge business worldwide and will have many spillover effects for the local community.”

Salleh, who is also the Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation deputy chairman, said some RM2.5 million in funds was needed to set up TCC. He said the centre would begin operations as early as next year.

He said that MNS was willing to work with other related non-governmental organisations to make the centre a success.

Former Universiti Malaysia Terengganu lecturer Prof Chan Eng Heng, who is the brains behind the centre, said the centre was modelled after the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The centre will consist of an open-air hatchery, ponds and tanks for head-starting of freshwater turtles, breeding ponds and outdoor exhibits.

Those interested in donating towards the centre can contact Salleh or Chan at MNS and enghengchan@gmail.com respectively.