Activists: End the sea turtle trade
Activists: End the sea turtle trade
Bambang M, Contributor, Yogyakarta
Eighteen protesters, members of the wildlife protection
organization, ProFauna, staged a unique protest in front of the
Serangan Oemoem 11 Maret monument in downtown Yogyakarta
recently.
Clad in white jumpsuits, they unfurled two big banners
reading, "Stop the sea turtle trade" and "Stop trading souvenirs
made of sea turtles."
No yells nor heroic songs were heard during the rally. Rather,
the protesting activists stood still for four consecutive hours,
making themselves a human backdrop to some 100 turtle dolls
spread on the ground in front of them.
"We are protesting against the illegal trading of souvenirs
made of sea turtle shells here," one of the protesters, Suparno,
said. The trade in souvenirs made of sea turtle shells has
reached an alarming level. Such souvenirs can be found in almost
all souvenir shops along Jl. Malioboro and in Kotagede.
Law No 5/1990 on the conservation of natural resources and
ecosystems stipulates that the sea turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricata), or the penyu sisik as it is locally known, is a
protected species. Trading in the animal or its body parts,
therefore, is illegal and is subject to five years imprisonment
and/or a Rp 100 million fine.
However, according to Suparno, an investigation conducted by
ProFauna between September 2001 and July 2002 revealed that
Kotagede was one of the main centers for the production of
souvenirs made out of sea turtle shells.
In Kotagede, which is located on the outskirts of Yogyakarta,
these kind of souvenirs are widely found along Jl. Kemasan. The
souvenirs include bangles, hair accessories, belts, jewelry
boxes, fans, ship ornaments, miniature daggers and others
besides. Some are mixed with burnished silver, and prices range
from just a few thousand rupiah to hundreds of thousands of
rupiah.
Many of the souvenir shop owners, however, said that their
wares were old stock and that they no longer produced souvenirs
made of sea turtle shells.
Speaking separately, the head of the Yogyakarta natural
resources conservation office (BKSDA), Kuspriyadi, said that
after receiving the report from ProFauna, his officials had held
two meetings in November 2003 with local craftsmen. However, the
craftsmen, grouped in the Indonesian Silver Craft Commodities
Association, refused to have their turtle shell products seized.
In the end, however, an agreement had been reached.
The souvenir manufacturers had pledged not to make any new
products out of sea turtle shells, the official said.
"We plan to put marks on the old stock to prevent new products
from being produced, but we have not yet been able to do this.
Hopefully we will be able to do it this month," Kuspriyadi said.
Another sluggish reaction by the conservation office --
something that has been widely condemned. The longer action is in
gestation the more chances there are for unscrupulous producers
to keep killing the turtles to make these souvenirs. The sea
turtles in Yogyakarta are mostly bought from traders in Bali and
Makassar in South Sulawesi.
Lack of socialization of the law by the conservation office is
frequently blamed for the flourishing trade in souvenirs made
from protected animal parts in the province.
Theresia Sugiharti, an employee of a well-known Yogyakarta
souvenir store, Mirota Batik, for example, said that she did not
know that the trading of products made of sea turtle shells was
illegal.
"I never knew about that. But I don't want to breach any law
so I guess I'll ask the manager to stop purchasing these kind of
items. You're welcome to check," she said, less than
convincingly.