Dozens of endangered green sea turtles that were smuggled into Bali were recovered following a thwarted trafficking attempt in Jembrana yesterday, an official said.
Sumarso, who heads the conservation department at the Bali office of the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA), said that an Indonesian Navy squad interrupted the smugglers yesterday at approximately 10pm off Klatakan Beach.
The perpetrators, he said, managed to flee the scene and leave behind two jukung (traditional wooden boats) containing 43 green sea turtles.
It was suspected that the animals were poached in Madura, East Java and were being transported to Bali to be consumed as food.
Despite the fact that the trading of all turtle species, turtle products, and their eggs are now prohibited under Indonesian law, the meat is reportedly still available in the black market.
The rescued turtles remained at the navy’s facility in Gilimanuk before they were transported to BKSDA’s rescue center for medical evaluation.
It has indeed been a sad week for turtles.
In another report, a carcass of a green sea turtle was found amongst trash that washed up at Kedonganan Beach in Kuta yesterday afternoon.
