BREAKING NEWS: NEW DANGER FOR THE SEATURTLES ON BALI! PLEASE CLICK READ AND TAKE ACTION!
The consecration ceremony of the new domiciliary temple does not appear to have changed. However, the meals that are offered during the hours-long celebration now often lack one of the traditional components - the meat of sea turtles.
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What environmentalists have worked towards for years, but was until recently considered impractical, may now be realizable; the turtle slaughter-houses of Bali, which were primarily responsible for the disappearance of the sea turtles in most regions of the Indo-Pacific oceans, have been closed down. These are signs of an almost incredible change – but will it be a lasting one?
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| These latest developments have been driven by an Indonesian species conservation organization called “ProFauna” (formerly KSBK). Their goal is to rescue wild animals and protect habitats using well-prepared plans and creative, intelligent, and brave actions. |
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For example, they used undercover operations to reveal that the number of turtles caught from all over Indonesia and brought to the central slaughter-houses in Tanjung Benoa, Bali is not 5.000 as has been claimed, but actually 30.000. These investigations were filmed by ProFauna.
These developments have only been possible since the end of the Suharto dictatorsip. To publicly express and hold an opinion and to demonstrate and rebel against established structures is new to many Indonesians.
In addition there is a specific factor on Bali: The island has always been the Indonesian center of tourism – and when the ProFauna openly threatened to call for a world-wide boycott of the holiday destination “Bali”, the governor of the province decided to finally enforce the long-standing laws, which officially protect all sea turtles in Indonesia.
Information gathered by the ProFauna were instrumental in stopping vessels at sea, which were involved in turtle catching and transport; the captured turtles were released into the sea.
One of the key-men of the illegal trade with the endangered species was even sentenced to jail (although he has not been imprisoned yet).
After all, only a few people make money from the trade with sea turtles. These few persons, however, were ready for anything but giving up – rather, they laid fire to a police station and threatened to kill their opponents. Since then, publicly known members of ProFauna won’t dare to show up near Tanjung Benoa.
Others have been threatened to death, too, like the hindu-priest Ida Pedande. He publicly affirmed that the scriptures of hinduism do not contain any commandments to eat turtle meat at every ceremony as has been a common practice on Bali in recent years, and continued saying that pig and chicken would be equally appropriate for such purposes. With these arguments he effectively deprived the turtle dealers of the religious and cultural justification they claimed for continuing their cruel business.
Nevertheless, the fight for the protection of the endangered sea turtles at the slaughter-house of Bali is far from being over and won. And the people of ProFauna are very well aware of that.
International support is urgently needed and must go beyond merely showing sympathy. That is why two board members of the Turtle Foundation traveled to Bali to gather first-hand information about the efficient activities of the ProFauna organization.
During a one-week´s shooting of a documentary film Dr. Hiltrud Cordes and Eberhard Meyer witnessed how energetically and creatively ProFauna pursues the protection of the sea turtles. Our support is now needed more than ever! The Turtle Foundation calls for donations – catchword “BALI”.
With your donation you will help the ProFauna:
- to have a close eye on the turtle butchers of Tanjung Benoa (investigating in the lion´s den; equipped with modern technology);
- to inform and educate the Balinese people and to bring to their attention that a few unscrupulous traders threaten the survival of a whole species and at the same time are about to ruin the image of the holiday island of Bali;
- to make tourists aware of the situation and urge them not to buy any souvenirs or jewelry made from tortoise-shell nor to eat meals prepared from turtle meat;
- to uncover any new activities of the mafia of turtle traders trying to escape the present attention on Tanjung Benoa, Bali. It is possible that they have set out to continue their dirty business at other, secret places;
- to support police and judiciary to find and imprison the sentenced but fugitive boss of the turtle mafia.
All donations with the catchword “BALI” will be immediately forwarded to ProFauna.