TEMPO.CO, Denpasar - Non-profit organization ProFauna has urged Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika to prevent the trade of turtles.
"We also delivered a petition supported by 25,000 people worldwide to urge the government to immediately stop the trade of turtles," said ProFauna coordinator Jatmiko Wiwoho during a rally in front of the Bali Governor’s office in Denpasar on Wednesday.
Jatmiko said the petition was supported by SOS Sea Turtles, a non-profit organization aimed at saving sea turtles, and ProFauna through the website www.change.org since last March. Most of the 25,000 supporters were from countries in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. If the administration refuses to respond to the petition, Jatmiko believes Bali’s image as a tourism destination will be tarnished again.
Jatmiko explained that international activists called for the boycott of Bali’s tourism in 2000 due to the trade of turtles. At that time, the administration took severe action against illegal traders and dragged them to court. This incident managed to drastically reduce the habit of consuming turtles in Bali.
However, the trade of turtles has increased again. In the past eight months, Jatmiko said four cases of attempted turtle smuggling were unraveled, with traders trying to illegally smuggle 83 green turtles (chelonia mydas).
ROFIQI HASAN