Sea turtle conservation and livelihoods in marine protected areas of Terengganu in Malaysia

The local communities often rely on the natural resources but at the same time their livelihood activities can potentially pose a threat to sea turtles. There is therefore a need to understand the human dimensions in relation... [ view full abstract ]

The local communities often rely on the natural resources but at the same time their livelihood activities can potentially pose a threat to sea turtles. There is therefore a need to understand the human dimensions in relation to their interactions with sea turtles, particularly in places where these two have an impact on each other. This study uses the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach to understand the human-sea turtle interactions in marine protected areas of Terengganu in Malaysia by exploring how, in different contexts, people draw on different types of livelihood assets which are influenced by structures and processes to develop livelihood strategies in order to achieve desired livelihood outcomes. Between October 2016 and July 2017, informal and in-depth interviews with the local communities were carried out at Perhentian and Redang Islands to understand how their livelihoods are linked to sea turtles, and how this influences their perception on human-sea turtle interactions and conservation management efforts. The local communities benefit from sea turtles through three livelihood strategies: collecting turtle eggs (consumptive use), working as a conservation ranger and in turtle-related tourism activities (non-consumptive use). However, there are certain things they need to have (i.e. assets) and certain people they need to know to gain access to these livelihood activities. Nonetheless, whether or not their livelihoods depend on sea turtles, most of them think that conserving sea turtles is important especially for the future generations. Such understanding can provide valuable insights to ensure the sustainability of local community livelihoods and sea turtle populations.