Supermarket stops selling turtle eggs

DENPASAR, Bali: A supermarket in Denpasar has stopped selling turtle eggs after an environmental organization pointed out the damage the egg trade has on the survival of the turtles.

"A few days ago we received information that Hero Supermarket here were selling turtle eggs," Ketut Sarjana Putra, deputy director of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) region office, said on Thursday.

"We then sent a team to discuss the matter with the supermarket manager and they agreed to stop selling the eggs," Ketut said.

According to Government Regulation No. 7/1999, the turtles are considered a protected species and trade of the animals, including their eggs, is illegal.

The supermarket sold the eggs for Rp 15,800 per half-dozen, a supermarket employee said.

Hero Supermarket manager Samsu Arifin said the eggs were shipped from Bandung.

"We didn't know that it was forbidden to trade it," he said. (50/edt)