Green turtle under threat of extinction

Green turtle under threat of extinction

CIANJUR, West Java: The population of green turtles on the south coast of Sukabumi face the threat of extinction if no action is taken to stop excessive hunting of the species.

Cevy Th. Mulyana, chairman of Yayasan Hijau Indonesia, called on local authorities to introduce a bylaw barring local people from hunting the turtles and their eggs.

"The green turtles will be extinct in the next decade if the uncontrolled hunting of them and their eggs is not stopped," he said here on Thursday.

He said the species' eggs are traded at a price of around Rp 3,000 in the city and Pelabuhan Ratu, while consumers can also order turtle meat from the traders. --Antara