ProFauna and Turtle Foundation Call a Halt to Sea Turtle Trade in Indonesia

The prodigious number and increasing trend of the trade of sea turtle and its eggs have urged ProFauna and Turtle Foundation to conduct campaigns to demand for a halt to sea turtle exploitation in Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, Jakarta, on Sunday (10/11/2013). During the campaign, ProFauna's activists wore masks showing sea turtle babies (hatchlings) and carried posters saying "Stop Perdagangan Penyu" ("Stop Sea Turtle Trade"). The campaign attracted the public's attention who then came over to the campaign spot, and many of them had fruitful discussions with ProFauna.

ProFauna is deeply concerned about sea turtle exploitation in Indonesia, which is getting more worrisome each day and is putting the species in peril. Exploitation can be classified into three forms, namely sea turtle meat trade, sea turtle eggs trade, and sea turtle abuse for business (especially tourism). For the past three years ProFauna recorded at least 13 cases of sea turtle and eggs trade across Indonesia. Those cases mostly took place in Bali and East Borneo.

Sea turtle eggs trade is a serious critical here in Indonesia, because in several places such practices are condoned by the local government. One of the endangered natural habitats of Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is Sangalaki islands, East Borneo. The rate of eggs poaching in there is very alarming, yet sea turtle conservation activities run by non-profit organization like Turtle Foundation was unreasonably suspended by the government

In 2010, ProFauna published a report uncovering trading practices of no less than 100.000 sea turtle eggs in Borneo only.  The report was responded by the central government with a announcement issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Indonesia no 523.3/5228/SJ concerning the management of sea turtle and its habitat, which instructs all governors to coordinate all mayors and related institutions to protect sea turtle by taking preventions, doing supervisions, ensuring law enforcement, and publicly announcing related regulations as well as educating the public in order to raise the awareness towards sea turtle conservation.

Sea turtle trades also happen in Jakarta. In October 2013, ProFauna witnessed dozens of hatchlings being openly traded in Jatinegara market, Jakarta. In addition to the hatchling trades, in Jakarta there are also illicit trades of sea turtle eggs for instance in Mangga Besar, Jakarta.

ProFauna Indonesia's campaign officer, Bayu Sandi, claimed "All species of sea turtle, including the eggs, are protected by laws; thus any trade of such things is considered a crime." ProFauna demand the government to take this issue seriously and stop any form of sea turtles and eggs trade across the country," Bayu concluded.

For further information, please contact:

Swasti Prawidya Mukti (International Affairs Officer of ProFauna Indonesia)

Email: international@profauna.net