Resorts World Kijal Blends Hospitality With Sustainability Via Turtle Conservation

By Nur Elysa Amirah Suhaimi

KEMAMAN, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- Resorts World Kijal (RWK) remains committed to championing turtle conservation, protecting the endangered species through continuous conservation initiatives, and promoting greater awareness of environmental sustainability.

With the theme ‘Bersama Melindungi Warisan Laut Kita’ (Together We Protect Our Ocean Heritage), the Genting Malaysia Bhd subsidiary has partnered with the Terengganu Fisheries Department and WWF Malaysia to implement programmes focusing on environmental education, youth engagement and conservation efforts at RWK, one of the country’s few remaining turtle landing sites.

RWK acting hotel manager Fatimah Asmawatty Mohd Kamal said the collaboration with the Terengganu Fisheries Department began in 2023, with hatchlings provided by the department, before the resort established its first hatchery in 2024.

“Last year, we established our own hatchery, and to date, more than 600 hatchlings have been successfully released.

“For now, we only have one hatchery. Its location will change every two years based on the department’s advice to avoid bacterial risks, but it will remain within Kijal,” she told reporters after the turtle conservation programme at Pantai Kijal on Saturday.

As part of the programme, 100 green turtle hatchlings were released into the sea, followed by a 7.6-kilometre beach clean-up and the planting of 30 coconut saplings on Sunday.

A total of 32 volunteers from the Genting Green Generation (G3) took part in the programme.

“Every Saturday, guests are invited to join an educational session on turtle conservation, culminating in the rare opportunity to release baby turtles into the ocean.

“When we explain that out of the 1,000 hatchlings released, only one or two are likely to survive, some guests were moved to tears,” she also said.

Meanwhile, Terengganu Fisheries Department head of Fisheries Conservation and Protection Division Norlizawati Ibrahim said collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is essential to sustainably restore turtle populations and raise greater public awareness on the importance of environmental protection.

“Terengganu has the highest number of turtle landings in Peninsular Malaysia, and the management cost here is much higher compared to other states.

“We cannot move forward alone… so with NGOs, the effort is amplified as their voices are more widely heard,” she said.

Genting Malaysia, in a statement, said data from the Terengganu Fisheries Department showing declining turtle landings and the low survival rate of hatchlings reaching adulthood is a stark reminder of the urgent need for integrated conservation efforts through collaboration involving the private sector, government and local communities.

RWK, in the same statement, said nature conservation has become part of its tourism experience. This is in line with the resort’s long-term corporate social responsibility direction that integrates hospitality with sustainability, while offering guests a meaningful experience.

Located in Kemaman, RWK is not just a tourist destination but also an important habitat for endangered turtle species such as the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

-- BERNAMA