ITK IPB University Students Hold Coastal Clean-up and Turtle Hatchling Release at Pangumbahan Beach

A number of students of the Department of Marine Science and Technology (ITK) IPB University who are members of the IX Expedition team of the Marine Science and Technology Student Association (HIMITEKA) conducted Coastal Clean-up activities and released hatchlings (sea turtle hatchlings) at Pangumbahan Beach, Ciracap District, West Java on Saturday, 24/02.

This activity was carried out as a form of student service by involving beach tourists, village officials including Corporal Chief (Kopka) Muslim, Kopka Taufik, Aipda Ari Sediana as Bhayangkara Pembina Keamanan dan Ketertiban Masyarakat (Bhabinkamtibmas) Pangumbahan, and Pangumbahan Beach Turtle Conservation Centre officers.

“The main purpose of this beach clean-up action is to make Pangumbahan Beach, which is a conservation beach, cleaner and more beautiful to look at,” said Ade Hendri Yunanto, Chief of Pangumbahan Beach Turtle Conservation Centre.

He said that the most important thing is to prevent the turtles from eating plastic waste on the beach which can cause death to the turtles and to avoid the addition of pathogens.

“In Pangumbahan Beach, hatchling release is prioritised every day. However, if there are few hatchlings, the release is organised, preferably on Saturday and Sunday,” he said.

The chief executive of Expedition IX, Caesar Aditya, revealed that the HIMITEKA Expedition IX team visited the Pangumbahan Beach Turtle Conservation Centre for training on turtle measurement and monitoring to prepare for Expedition IX in May.

“Alhamdulillah, I am very happy because we were given the opportunity to participate and not only get knowledge about turtle training. As a student, this community service activity makes me feel more responsible for the preservation of our sea,” he said.

Caesar revealed that the implementation of this community service activity was certainly inseparable from the support and assistance of the Student Affairs Commission of the ITK Department of IPB University, Muhammad Iqbal, who always provided advice and suggestions in this activity.

“I hope activities like this can continue to be carried out to create awareness and care for more people towards the sea,” Iqbal said on a separate occasion.

The coastal clean-up activity at Pangumbahan Beach itself is always held regularly, with a tentative schedule. The parties involved range from conservation officers, visitors, Sukabumi Turtle Conservation Group, to the Genteng Nusantara Community Supervisory Group (Pokmaswas).

After ensuring that Pangumbahan Beach, which is part of the Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu UNESCO Global Geopark, was free of rubbish, 238 green turtle hatchlings were released into the sea. The hatchlings came from turtle eggs on Pangumbahan Beach that were relocated by the Pangumbahan Beach Turtle Conservation Centre to be safely released to the sea. (ASM/RAT/Lp) (IAAS/RUM)