Endangered turtles being hunted to extinction<\/p>\n
Chris Brummitt, Associated Press, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
The turtle butcher had little hesitation about revealing his
\noccupation.<\/p>\n
\"Come back tomorrow at dawn and you can have as much meat as
\nyou want,\" said Wayan Budha, handing over his business card: Bali
\nCatering Service. To the left of the name, a large stenciled
\nimage of an endangered sea turtle makes clear to potential
\ncustomers the nature of his illegal business.<\/p>\n
Budha's fly-ridden shop is proof of a bloody trade on this
\ntropical Indonesian resort island, which is better known for its
\nsparkling coastline, friendly people and views of intricately
\nsculpted Hindu temples.<\/p>\n
Three years ago, consumption of the turtle was decreasing due
\nto a police crackdown and a campaign by local animal rights
\nactivists against the killing.<\/p>\n
But the practice is now on the rise again. Earlier this year,
\npolice raided three ships carrying more than 250 turtles destined
\nfor Bali from other parts of Indonesia -- a sign,
\nconservationists say, of the increasing demand for the meat.<\/p>\n
Turtle traders are fighting back. In June, around 50 people
\narmed with spears and machetes punched and kicked a group of
\nconservationists as they tried to research the trade on Bali.<\/p>\n
Budha's shop was one of two in the island's provincial capital
\nof Denpasar where a reporter inquiring about turtle meat was
\noffered the illegal product. Neither had signs, and both were set
\nback from the road. Butchery goes on late at night to avoid the
\npolice, Budha said.<\/p>\n
While all six species of turtle found in Indonesian waters are
\non the UN endangered species list, the green turtle, which lives
\nfor 100 years and can measure almost a meter (three feet) in
\nlength, is the only one that is eaten on Bali.<\/p>\n
Decades of hunting the animal and rapid development of the
\nisland's coastline mean it is now rarely found in Balinese
\nwaters. Bali-based businessmen send boats elsewhere in the
\nIndonesian archipelago to catch the turtles.<\/p>\n
Most of the animals arrive on Bali though the harbor at
\nTanjung Benoa, a poor district on the southern tip of the island
\nwhere turtle meat is still available in street-side eating
\nhouses. Whereas three years ago the boats used to unload their
\ncargo in daylight, they now do so at night, says ex-turtle
\nfisherman Wayan Putra.<\/p>\n
Putra stopped fishing for turtle for fear of being caught, but
\nhe still eats the meat. He says it is good for stamina and
\ndefends the right of his fellow Balinese to dine on turtle.
\n\"It's been in our culture for years,\" he says. \"People should
\nstop telling us what to do.\"<\/p>\n
The turtles are slaughtered by turning them onto their backs
\nand prying flesh from their shells while the animal is still
\nalive -- a process that enables the butcher to peel meat off
\neasily.<\/p>\n
Turtle flesh is skewered and barbecued at parties and
\nreligious gatherings on the island. Bracelets and trinkets made
\nfrom the turtle's carapace, or upper shell, are available in
\ntowns throughout Indonesia. This trade is illegal, too.<\/p>\n
The animal is also used in religious ceremonies on the island,
\nwhere most people are Hindus - unlike the rest of Muslim-majority
\nIndonesia. After lobbying by priests, local officials allowed a
\nlimited number of turtles to be killed each year for use as
\nofferings in religious ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Those who want to purchase turtle must have written permission
\nfrom village chiefs and Bali's Conservation Department, but
\nanimal rights activists and some Hindu priests says the system is
\nwidely abused.<\/p>\n
\"The trade these days has nothing to do with Hindu ritual or
\ntradition,\" said Hindu elder Ida Pedanda Ngurah Kaleran. \"It's
\njust not true if they say it is for religion. The meat is for
\nconsumption.\"<\/p>\n
Kaleran said that a maximum of 300 turtles a year and normally
\nmuch less would be enough for sacrifices in some ceremonies to
\nsymbolize prosperity.<\/p>\n
He said the animal was not essential for the success of the
\nritual and could easily be substituted with offerings of flour,
\nrice and cookies.<\/p>\n
The trade in turtles is not the only danger facing the
\nanimals.<\/p>\n
It is also under threat in Indonesian waters and elsewhere in
\nthe world from industrial fishing and the exploitation of eggs
\nand destruction of beaches - where the turtles nest - by
\nwaterfront development.<\/p>\n
Despite pockets of affluence, most of Bali is poor like the
\nrest of Indonesia. Last year's bloody nightclub bombings on the
\nisland have badly hit its tourist trade, pushing thousands of
\npeople out of work.<\/p>\n
A large green turtle sells for more than US$50, making the
\nbusiness attractive to impoverished villagers.<\/p>\n
\"It's like the drug trade,\" said Wayan Wiradnyana, who works
\nwith the local conservation group ProFauna Indonesia. \"The
\ntraders are like a little mafia.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/endangered-turtles-being-hunted-to-extinction-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}