Massive hunt for green turtles continues in Runduma island

Massive hunt for green turtles continues in Runduma island

By Ashari Usman

BUTON, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara): They are protected by the
environmental law, but the species, as well as the eggs, are a
hot commodity here.

Children in Runduma island, some 42 kilometers south of Tomia
island, Buton regency, sell a green turtle egg for only Rp 500
(US 6 cents).

Runduma is part of the Wakatobi chain of islands, which in the
past was popularly known as the Tukang Besi islands. Runduma is
also part of the Wakatobi Sea National Park.

A number of children in the region sell turtle eggs caught by
their parents while they play. Their main targeted customers are
visitors, who come to the island especially during insemination
period of the turtle.

For turtle hunters, the offer is tempting. They will not buy
the eggs from the children, but directly ask the whereabouts of
their parents, who may have a huge number of eggs or even keep
green turtles with them.

Head of Southeast Sulawesi's National Resources Conservation,
Gunung W. Sinaga, said most of the turtles sold by local people
are green turtles (chelonia mydas), while others are scaly
turtles.

Both green and scaly turtles are protected by law. Government
Decree No. 7/1999 on the protection of plants and animals
stipulates that a person catching green or scaly turtles will
face fines and jail.

Unfortunately, there has been no accurate statistics or
estimates of the number of green turtles caught.

Southeast Sulawesi is known as one of the biggest suppliers of
green turtles for Bali, where the demand for turtles is high.
Balinese offer the turtles in numerous rituals and religious
ceremonies.

Most of the turtles are caught in their natural habitat, and
only a small number of them come from the hatching place.

"There is only one hatching place in Southeast Sulawesi. It
can only supply 200 green turtle per year, while the overall
number of turtles sold to Bali can be 10 times its capacity,"
Sinaga said.

Illegal hunting of green turtles and their eggs is difficult
to stop and can threaten the survival of the species.

The head of the Wakatobi National Park, Haryanto, said
recently that there are some obstacles to efforts to conserve the
park's environment. He cited the limited number of employees:
Only 50 staff members handle the 1.39 million-hectare area, which
includes dozens of small islands.

"We are outnumbered and equipped only with poor communication
equipment. How can we effectively safeguard the area?"

In the meantime, Haryanto said, his staff's performance is
poor, especially in preventing the hunt for the turtles catching
the hunters.

Sharing Haryanto's point of view, Sinaga said it is difficult
to stop the massive turtle hunt as the hunters are local people
who live in the coastal regions, while the number of police
rangers and equipment is limited.

He said the Southeast Sulawesi police rangers earlier this
month seized 125 green turtles from residents of Torokeke village
in Tinanggea subdistrict.

"However, the number of turtles seized is small compared with
the ones sold in Bali," he said.

Instead of Runduma, hunters also look for turtles in Moromaho
Island and two tiny neighboring islands, as well as Kentiolo and
Cowocowo islands. All islands are part of the Wakatobi National
park.

Outside the national park, turtles can be found in the Tiworo
chain of islands -- Padamarang and Wawonii -- and Lasolo and
Tinanggea subdistricts.

According to Sinaga, a number of ships frequently sail through
the islands to procure green turtles at Rp 75,000 (US$9.4) to Rp
150,000 per turtle with back width of more than 50 centimeters.

Southeast Sulawesi islands and coastal regions, with clean
white sand, are likely the best area for the green turtle to lay
their eggs and raise their babies.

Controlled hunt

Sinaga, therefore, suggested that the central government give
local people permission to hunt the turtles, but only in limited
numbers and in certain places, to give people a sense of
ownership of the nation's resources and to help safeguard the
protected animals.

"It's not wrong for the government to let the people take or
hunt the wild animals as long as the numbers are limited and the
area is determined," he said.

Sinaga's proposal, however, was challenged by Southeast
Sulawesi Governor La Ode Kaimoeddin, who insisted that green
turtles and other protected animals must be protected.

"We have to remain firm against hunters of protected animals.
Police rangers must have courage to capture such hunters as the
local administration will be behind them," Kaimoeddin said
recently.