Govt urged to protect turtles

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The rife smuggling of green turtles (chelonia mydas) from the province may soon threaten the survival of the amphibious species, an environmentalist said here on Monday.

"Green turtles are put in wooden boxes and then smuggled out of Central Sulawesi from the Togean group of islands, Poso district," said Yani Subekti Permana, the coordinator of the consortium for the development of the Togean group of islands Integrated Conservation Area.

These boxes are transported by boat from the Una-Una group of islands to Ampana, some 140 kilometers away from Poso, he explained.

Antara reported that each turtle could fetch a price between Rp 8,000 and Rp 9,500.

Permana called on government and security authorities to tighten control in a number of small seaports close to the area where green turtles, which are protected species, are abundantly found.