I recently came across a social media post by a woman who claimed to have turtle eggs for sale. What was more distressing is the fact that a number of people responded to the post by asking about price and delivery. One person called her out on it but she brushed it aside, claiming that her eggs were sourced from the neighbouring country. And that made it legal all of a sudden?
As an avid diver, I am all for the protection of marine life as these beauties are what attracted me to the activity in the first place. Sea turtles have been on the decline worldwide, and Brunei being one of the countries that has banned the sale of turtle eggs to fight against its extinction had always been a source of pride for me. Until now.
The authorities ought to step up their efforts in ensuring that everyone, especially sellers on social media, is above board. Just the other day, my friend went to a fish market and saw juvenile sharks at one of the stalls. We are not talking about black market trade here; the vendor was openly selling these sharks in a busy market.
I can understand that the elderly may still have a taste for turtle eggs and shark as they grew up in an era where they were widely available. But times have changed; we now live in a world where climate change is threatening the very existence of wildlife around the globe. So to think that the younger generation has somehow inherited the taste for these endangered species boggles my mind.
We need to educate the public before it’s too late. School is a good place to start. By incorporating environmental education into the curriculum will ensure a well-informed generation. Climate advocates ought to do the same, by scaling up their campaign against climate change by actively seeking more public support. Most importantly, there needs to be intervention from law enforcers by penalising those who continue to ignore the laws that have been enacted to protect the environment.
Diva Diver
