LANGKAWI, March 19 — The Fisheries Department of Malaysia has identified the “gamat”, the sea cucumber, widely fetched from the sea waters for medicinal purposes in Langkawi, as an endangered species.
Deputy director of the department (operations), Suhaili Lee said the department was concerned with the depleting number of “gamat” and sea horses, which is another endangered species.
“The department would also list other species if they faced a similar predicament, to ensure they do not become extinct,” he told reporters after opening an aquatic exhibition of turtles and other endangered species at the Langkawi Underwater World, here today.
Visitors to the exhibition can view skeletal remains of giant sharks, dolphins, dugong and other exhibits.
Suhaili said the department had listed 33 endangered species in Malaysian waters, including turtles, sharks, dolphins and the dugong.
He added that from 1965 to 2007, the department had been involved in conservation of 192 million turtles, to ensure they remained an active species. — Bernama
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And also how did they arrive at the figure of 192 million turtles? What happened to the famous leatherback turtles?