Negeri Sembilan turtle nests more than triple in five years

Turtle nests in Negeri Sembilan have more than tripled in five years. The state recorded 13 nests in 2020 and 45 in 2025, Bernama reported on 7 October.

Green and hawksbill turtles come ashore at Port Dickson. In particular, Tanjung Gemuk is the beach in focus. State Fisheries Department director Kasim Tawe gave the figures to Bernama by phone.

The rise comes with a dispute. A marine NGO wants a protection zone at Tanjung Gemuk, but the department has other priorities. Here are the numbers, and the debate behind them.

Five years of rising turtle nest counts

In 2025, Negeri Sembilan recorded 5,552 turtle eggs. Of these, 4,371 hatched. These are the latest figures in the Bernama report.

For the previous year, however, officials recorded 3,333 eggs, and 1,080 hatched. Bernama did not name that year, but it appears to be 2024. The report says both counts have risen over the five years.

By our calculation, about 79 per cent of the eggs hatched in 2025. The year before, the figure was about 32 per cent. That is a large improvement, but the report does not explain it.

However, Bernama gives no cause for the rise. It also does not say how many hatchlings reached the sea. So the numbers show recorded turtle nests and eggs, and nothing more. Readers should not treat them as a count of the whole turtle population.

Where the turtles come ashore

Pantai Tanjung Gemuk draws most of the attention. Kasim said it is a public beach run by the Port Dickson Municipal Council (MPPD). That matters, because the council shares responsibility for the shore.

Still, turtles do not nest only there. Kasim said: “The nesting of turtles does not only occur at Tanjung Gemuk.” He added that nesting happens on many Port Dickson beaches.

The nesting stretch runs from around Tanjung Tuan to Tanjung Gemuk, he said. Bernama gives no count for each beach. As a result, we cannot say which beach holds the most nests.

The Fisheries Department has also appointed Glory Beach Resort as a private turtle conservation centre. The report does not describe what the centre does. Still, it shows that the department works with private operators as well as the council.

A dispute over protecting Tanjung Gemuk

Aktivis Pemuliharaan Marin Malaysia wants Tanjung Gemuk named a turtle landing protection zone. The NGO made the call after a hawksbill nest was believed disturbed. Its eggs were believed stolen.

The group also wants the landing areas identified and the nests protected. In addition, it asks for regular patrols and monitoring. Both sides want less disturbance at the nests, but they differ on the method.

Kasim rejected the zone proposal. He said the department’s priorities are public awareness, a clean beach and less disturbance. Therefore, the department’s approach does not include a protection zone for turtle nests.

Protecting the landing area needs cooperation, he said. MPPD, the Port Dickson District and Land Office and the public all have a part. If you visit these beaches, keep them clean and give any nest plenty of space.