Green Turtle Guardians of Terengganu: Nesting Season Success
Accurate at time of publication: 7 May 2025
The issue
Every year between March and September, endangered green turtles (Chelonia mydas) come ashore to the beaches of Terengganu, Malaysia, to lay their precious eggs.
Thousands of nests dot the sandy shorelines, each containing around 100 turtle eggs. This is a hopeful time for the species’ future, but it’s shadowed by an ever-present threat: green turtle nesting season is rife with the risk of egg-poaching.
The turtle egg trade is one of the biggest threats to green turtles in Terengganu, driven by demand for turtle eggs and meat. In 2021, Terengganu has banned the sales and consumption of all marine turtle eggs, but poaching is still an ever-present threat.
The Solution
In Terengganu, WWF-Malaysia, in collaboration with turtle guardians and local police, are supporting the Department of Fisheries to safeguard green sea turtles. Through regular patrols, strengthened law enforcement, and egg incubation they are protecting the turtles from poachers and other threats.
Result
Their incredible efforts have paid off. During the 2024 nesting season in Terengganu, there was not a single case of poaching. A total of 555 green turtle nests were protected and 49,250 eggs secured for incubation, helping to ensure the future survival of endangered green turtle.