Turtles struggle to survive poachers

Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Berau

The face of Surono, 36, a Berau fishermen here, showed annoyance when he spotted a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) shell. The shell lay on the beach but the animal inside it had gone.

"The turtle poachers have been around again," said Surono while walking on a beach on Derawan island, Berau regency, East Kalimantan province.

Surono said that although poaching of turtles on the beaches in Derawan island happened often, the fishermen here could do nothing as the poachers used faster and more modern boats. "I have seen several empty shells in the past few weeks. I believe that the turtle meat has been taken out to Bali or foreign countries for turtle meat trading," said Surono.

Derawan island is prone to turtle poaching as the island is a turtle habitat. Various kinds of turtles have been living in 41 islets on Derawan island, including rare turtles such as the green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and the Olive-Ridley turtle (Lipidochelys olivacea).

The poachers not only hunt the turtles for meat, but they also take the turtle eggs. Turtle eggs are sold freely in restaurants and street stalls in Samarinda, the capital of East Kalimantan.

Each egg is sold for Rp 3,000 (0.3 U.S. cents). The egg is in high demand as it is believed to enhance sexual performance. A female turtle only lays eggs between the ages of 20 and 100 years. Turtle meat is sold to restaurants and often eaten during ritual functions.

Due to the widespread poaching, turtles are rarely seen now on Derawan island in stark contrast to the situation a few decades ago when the turtles could easily be seen along the island's beaches.

In the 1950s, each night some 200 turtles would lay eggs on the island, said executive director of Berau Lestari environmental group, Juhriansyah. But the number reduced to 150 in the 1970s, between 60 to 100 turtles in 1998 and currently between 25 to 30 turtles.

"The turtle population has been dwindling due to rampant poaching and sea pollution. Another threat is the development of tourist resorts that could damage the turtle habitat," said Juhriansyah.

Separately, Berau Regent Masdjuni said that almost all fishermen arrested for illegal poaching in Berau came from outside the regency. A fisherman nabbed in 2002 for poaching 236 green sea turtles was from Bali. The last arrest was in March this year when the police arrested 28 crew members of a Chinese ship when the ship was docked in a port on Derawan island. The police found 13 turtles, which had already been stuffed, and a white shark, which was still alive, inside the ship.

The regent said that the Berau government would beef up security on the island to prevent further poaching.