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Sea Turtle havoc in Bali and in India
Authorities attacked by turtle traders, and fishermen massacre Olive Ridley turtles.
(Indonesia) On Friday, February 26, 2001 turtle traders attacked police offices in Benoa, Bali, to protest the arrest of a man for illegally trading in sea turtles. The man, named Wewe, was arrested by police three months earlier when he was caught with an estimated 9000 dead sea turtles.
The Balinese governments police and Forestry Department oppose this illegal trade, but the turtle traders wield a lot of power and dont hesitate to use force against authorities.
Observers have suggested that the carapaces of the turtles are being
used as raw material in the manufacture of souvenirs. This is probably a violation of CITES.
Local conservationists have issued a worldwide call for letters of protest to the Governor of Bali, to help make sure laws against the trade in endangered sea turtles are enforced.
Letters may be sent to:
Governor of Bali
Jalan Niti Mandala Renon, Denpasar,
Bali, INDONESIA
(India) On Indias eastern coast, thousands of sea turtles are being killed as they attempt to lay their eggs. This endangered turtle, the Olive Ridley, has only four major nesting sites left in the world, and the Indian coast at Orissa is one of them.
The deaths occur when the turtles get trapped in fishing gear, and fishermen hack them to death while getting them out. They are dying by the thousands on this coast alone.
As elsewhere in the world, devices exist to allow turtles to be safely excluded from fishing nets. As elsewhere in the world, there are laws in place to require the use of these nets. And as elsewhere in the world, these laws are being totally ignored by fishermen. Nearly 20,000 of the turtles were killed last year, and it is feared that the entire breeding population may be lost.
The global plight of sea turtles is escalating, and these peaceful creatures who survived the age of dinosaurs may not survive even the next few decades of humans. Visit the campaigns page to find out more about the GPF Turtle Campaign.
