Sea Turtles Spared in Indonesia

The green sea turtle earned a victory in conservation efforts this week when a request to slay 1,000 turtles for religious ceremonies was turned down in Indonesia.

The governor of Bali requested an allotment of 1,000 sea green turtles to be legally killed each year during Hindu ceremonies, and this quota request was declined by the Indonesian government. A spokesperson for the Forest Ministry, which is responsible for animal conservation in Indonesia, said the governor’s request was rejected on scientific advice and because the law prohibits it. However, religious leaders say the sacrifice of turtles is important to Hindu religion. The Bali Hindu Faith Council head said that the government should understand the need for sea turtles as part of their religious ceremonies, and that prohibiting it will hurt Balinese people.

Despite the claims of interrupting religious ceremonies, conservationists have won this battle, and the slaying of green sea turtles in any way remains outlawed.

This is one of a string of recent successes in the fight for green sea turtles. In early November, 82 baby sea turtles were hatched at the San Diego Zoo. A rehabilitated sea turtle rescued by the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton was released recently. Around 100 baby sea turtles were rescued by locals in Veraval, India when they strayed from their nests into the jungle instead of the sea.

These stories bring hope, but the sea turtles face a difficult struggle before their name can be taken off the endangered species list. The Marine Turtle Specialist Group released a report in 2004 that said the sea turtle population has declined 48-67% in the last three generations. The sea turtles’ greatest threat is intentional hunting, but habitat degradation and incidental threats, such as getting caught in fishing nets, also affect the population.

Turtle eggs and meat are considered delicacies in many parts of the world, including Bali. Indonesia banned the turtle trade ten years ago due to concerns about declining numbers, and the threat of a tourist boycott in Bali by animal rights activists.

This isn’t the only time animal sacrifices for the sake of religion have upset activists. Sacrifices are a large part of many Hindu religious ceremonies, including the Gadhimai festival that happened in Nepal last week. This debate continues, but there should be no dispute in the case of the green sea turtle. The endangered status of the turtle makes this a non-argument, and should unquestionably take precedence over religious ceremonies. Not only does ceremonial slaughter add another threat to the long list of dangers sea turtles face, a quota that allows sea turtles to be killed could trigger illegal trade and consumption.

To learn more about green sea turtles and the threats they face, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Fisheries site about sea turtles, or adopt a sea turtle through the World Wildlife Foundation.