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.