Turtle eaters develop taste for conservation

April 17, 1999
Web posted at: 6:42 p.m. EDT (2242 GMT)

BALI, Indonesia (CNN) -- On the island of Bali, the sea turtle has long been prized as a delicacy. Residents of this Indonesian island have hunted and butchered the turtles for their meat and raided their nests for their eggs until few of the animals remain.

But on Perancak Beach, on the southeast side of the island, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is working to educate villagers about the need for conserving the endangered turtles. The area is believed to be the last nesting place in Bali for the sea turtles.

"We have two different species (Hawksbill and Olive Ridley) hatching in Perancak Beach," said Ketut Putra of the WWF. He said that five females had laid about 390 eggs, giving hope for a comeback of the sea turtle population.

Most of the hatchlings were released into the ocean. But in a seaside shack dubbed "The Turtle Palace," eight of the young ones are kept as an exhibit, in hopes of educating the villagers, many of whom are fishermen.

"Most of them used to be turtle catchers," Putra said. "But since we came here they have changed a little bit."

Hunters become nurturers

Now the village has formed a group called Kurma Asih, which translates into "turtle love."

Wayan Tirta, the leader of Kurma Asih, said he was once the best turtle hunter on the island. But now, when a turtle makes a nest on the beach, Tirta and his fellow villagers mark the spot and protect it with a fence. Signs warn poachers to keep out. Group members count the eggs and monitor their temperature.

When the eggs hatch, however, the baby turtles are on their own. They face multiple hazards of the marine environment, from natural predators to fishermen.

Uphill battle

Conservationists are fighting an uphill battle to protect the turtles. Even though the export of turtle products is banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Indonesia has no national laws to protect sea turtles within the country.

The endangered turtles are still sold in Balinese markets, although they come from other areas of Indonesia.

To halt the capture of breeding females, the WWF has introduced size requirements for one species of sea turtle coming into Bali's ports. But enforcement is lax.

Reporter Craig Duff contributed to this report.