Pastika stressed that he completely supported efforts to protect the endangered species.
“Turtles are one of the few surviving prehistoric animals in modern times.”
During his term as Bali Police chief, Pastika frequently held raids confiscating illegally traded and trafficked turtles. Earlier this year, the police seized 33 sea turtles at Tanjung Benoa, while in 2012, the authorities foiled attempts to smuggle 220 sea turtles.
The smuggling and illegal trading of sea turtles onto the island has been longstanding to meet demand for turtle meat, a traditional food in Bali. The Balinese also use turtle meat in several religious rituals as part of the offerings. However, since 2005, the powerful Indonesian Parishada Hindu Council (PHDI) confirmed that other meats, or images of the animals, could be used in place of the meat of endangered or protected animals, such as turtles and eagles.
Recently, around 25,000 people signed a petition urging Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika and the tourist industry to stop the illegal slaughter of sea turtles. The petition, on the website change.org, called for support from animal lovers, environmentalists and individuals to protect sea turtles across the island.
Since last March, Indonesia-based ProFauna and SOS-Sea turtle from Switzerland and France have collaborated in the effort to garner voices from the international community to end this cruelty.
Sea turtles, also known as green turtles, are an endangered species and protected by the 1990 law on natural resource conservation. They are also listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meaning that any commercial trade of specimens caught in the wild of this species is illegal. Indonesia has ratified the convention.