WWF program in Bali strive to save imperiled green turtle

By Leyla Alyanak

BENOA, Bali (JP): At 54, Wayan Tangsi has always been a man of the sea. Each evening for most of his life, he and dozens of other turtle fishermen would push off the shore of Bali's busiest port in long, narrow jukung canoes, armed with little more than homemade wooden spears.

The boats floated eerily into the setting sun, their triangular sails high and spidery pontoon legs bobbing on the sea like water-based arachnids. At sunrise they would return filled with the catch of the night -- tuna, anchovy, lobster and green turtles.

"We would catch five or six turtles a day and sell them," Tangsi said. "The owner of the boat would get half the money, and the other half would be split between about 12 of us." It was not an easy life, but he was able to keep his wife and three children clothed and fed.

In the 1980s, technology came to the rescue. Huge nets nearly a kilometer long replaced spears, allowing fishermen to haul in as many as 90 turtles at a time.

But that was also when the trouble started.

"Indonesia has six species of sea turtles, but only five are protected by law because they are endangered," said Ketut Sarjana Putra, a marine biologist who heads the Bali office of international conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

"The problem arises with the green turtle, the only unprotected species," he added.

The green turtle, or Chelonia mydas to give its scientific name, was unprotected because spear hunting had little effect on its numbers. But with nets, the catch skyrocketed and overfishing became a real threat.

"If I went fishing today, I would be lucky to come back with two turtles in one week," said Tangsi. "Before, the turtles just swam near the surface. We could almost lean over and spear them. Now they are nowhere to be seen."

Tangsi is fortunate. When turtles became scarce and his income began to drop, he found alternative employment in the tourist industry which gives Bali so much of its renown. But convincing fishermen to forgo turtle fishing when times are tough is a challenge. And it is not just a question of money, but also of tradition.

For centuries, Bali has been the world's greatest consumer of green turtles. Local Hindu beliefs hold the turtle sacred, in part because it can hide in its shell and repulse attack from enemies. The turtle is used in innumerable rituals and ceremonies involving its meat for food and offerings.

It is here that WWF's fight to protect the green turtle has found a powerful ally. Local religious leaders have said publicly that turtle meat was not indispensable for religious rituals and that other meats -- such as duck -- could be used instead.

"This will definitely help relieve some of the pressure," said Putra, "but we need to push even further."

Changing attitudes

Equally important is changing people's attitudes.

"We are trying to convince coastal villagers to consume only those turtles whose shells are between 60 cm and 80 cm long," he said. This would stop the culling of turtles which are too young or too old, Putra added.

"We are also discouraging the use of turtle meat for food, and trying to limit the number they catch for ceremonial purposes by encouraging families to share the catch."

Putra believes a culture-based message will have more impact, and he has opted for a typically Balinese approach to change -- art.

"Local communities usually express their cultural or religious life in sacred arts and dances," he said. "So there are many ways to incorporate conservation messages."

These range from a drama gong play about turtle fishing which will be performed later this year, to turtle themes for sendratari (local classical dance), tari topeng (mask dance) and wayang kulit (puppet shows).

By combining culture and science, WWF hopes to help stabilize and eventually boost the number of green turtles off Bali's shores. An important part of its work is to come up with figures about the area's sea turtles -- how many there are, how big they are and to which species they belong. Only then will they have the tools to successfully convince the government that the green turtle needs as much protection as the island's other five species.

Each year, 5,000 green turtles can be traded legally in Bali. The national government has recommended the figure be lowered to 3,000, but WWF complains that the new quota is not enforceable because it is not legally binding. What they want is full protection for the species.

The turtle program has only been operating for a few months, but already there are signs that WWF-led discussions at village meetings are not falling on deaf ears.

Perancak is a tidy little coastal community nestled along the savagely beautiful shores of western Bali. For centuries, as in Benoa to the south, fishermen have followed their forefathers to the sea. When they caught green turtles, they would sell them to local people for food or for rites. Now, they are raising turtle hatchlings themselves and hoping this will help replenish the emptying waters.

A month ago, Wayan Tirtha caught a large green turtle in his fishing net. Rather than spear it as he formerly would, he ran to a telephone and called the WWF office in Denpasar. WWF tagged the turtle and released it back in the sea.

"I now understand that if I kill all the turtles, there will be none left for my children," said Tirtha. "I only need five turtles a year for ceremonies. If I catch more, I put them back."

That would have been unthinkable just a few months ago.