Melia saveguards turtles' future

Melia saveguards turtles' future

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

General Manager of Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort Alfonso
Romero smiled broadly while carrying the turtle onto the beach.

The cute green creature (Chelonia mydas) wiggled its front
flippers softly as if it knew that it was in a company of friends
and that its freedom was just a few steps away.

A similar smile of excitement could also be seen on the faces
of the establishment's marketing director, Sharon Lee, and
executive vice president of Sol Melia Asia Pacific Daniel Lozano,
who were walking next to Romero.

In Lozano's hands was a medium-sized turtle with clear eyes
and a healthy, clean shell.

A few meters from the water line, they placed the turtles on
the warm, white sand of Nusa Dua beach. Clicking sounds from many
digital cameras filled the air as a throng of locals and
foreigners, witnessing the release, tried to capture the
beautiful moment.

The creatures, four green turtles and one Olive Ridley
(Lepidochelys olivacea), dragged their bodies across the sand and
upon reaching the water started paddling their flippers in long,
slow strokes to gain sufficient momentum.

In no time at all, the turtles -- lucky, considering that
around 3,000 were slaughtered in Bali in 2004 -- conquered the
breaking waves and swam majestically into the azure sea.

The release, which took place last Friday, indicated the
resort's commitment to the conservation and preservation of the
island's ecological heritage.

"The sea turtle is an endangered species, a rare gem in our
country's ecological crown. The management of Melia Bali believes
that protecting and preserving the natural beauty and richness of
this island is a thing of utmost importance for not only the
future of tourism but also, most importantly, for the future
of the island itself," Melia Bali public relations officer Evy
Suryaningsih said.

The establishment received the turtles from the owner of Bumbu
Bali restaurant, a passionate environmentalist, who for years had
tried his best to save sea turtles from meeting a horrific end at
the hands of local traffickers.

"The management has approached local WWF (Worldwide Fund for
Nature) officers to discuss and explore various conservation
programs that the hotel might become involved in or initiate in
the future," she added.

WWF Turtle Program local field officer Dita Cahyani, who
witnessed the release, praised Melia Bali for conducting what she
called "an environmentally responsible tourism operation."

"The release also reminded us of the importance of building a
strong alliance with various individuals and institutions apart
from environmental NGOs to strengthen turtle conservation efforts
in the region," she said.

Given the importance of tourism to the island's economy --
possessing a huge influence, both social and economic, and
powerful political leverage -- Dita suggested that the industry
should play a more pivotal role in the struggle to
conserve the island's biodiversity.

"Having the industry on our side will surely raise turtle
conservation efforts to a whole new level," she added.

Recently, the WWF Turtle Program organized a meeting of many
stakeholders to define and design new conservation strategies for
the future.

"A broader base of public support, active participation from
various elements of the society and a mutually supportive
alliance with the business community and news media were
identified in the meeting as key to the success of future
conservation programs," she said.