Press Release: Airkuning Beach Releases Tens of Sea Turtle Hatchlings as a Community Engagement

More than 80 hatchlings of Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) have hatched at the sea turtle conservation program at Airkuning, Jembrana Regency, Bali. This sea turtle conservation program is run by a local group called Segara Urip, under the supervision of ProFauna Indonesia. The sea turtle babies will be released to the ocean by Segara Urip on 4 September 2013. Among the guests coming are a team from KSDA (Natural Resources Conservation Agency) Bali, Pamangku (Hindu religious leader) of Pura Dalam Air Kuning, Students of SMPN (junior high school) 5 Air Kuning, and Sispala (students mountaineering club) of SMPN 1 Mendoyo. This hatchling release is expected to be a concrete conservation education media for the community.

Sea turtle conservation group 'Segara Urip' has actually been paying attention to the condition of sea turtles in the beaches around Air Kuning . The sea turtles there is facing great threats such as eggs hunting, illegal eggs and tutle trades, coastal abrasion, and breakwaters that deters sea turtles who would go to the beach to lay their eggs.

Among the threats, eggs hunting is the most severe. With the assistance from ProFauna, Segara Urip established the sea turtle conservation program  in 2013. Their activities include beach night patrol which involve ex-hunters by employing their skill in detecting turtle nests, relocatings eggs to a safer place, and release the babies as soon as they hatch. Segara Urip agrees with ProFauna's concept of sea turtle conservation, that is to avoid keeping sea turtles for a long time for commercial or tourism purpose. Sea turtle hatchlings have to be released to the ocean as soon as possible to maintain their adaptability to their natural habitat ans also their survival skill.

ProFauna Indonesia's campaign officer, Bayu Sandi, said "Withholding sea turtles for tourist attraction and other commercial purposes is an exploitation of protected wildlife, as all species of sea turtles have been protected by the law of Indonesia." ProFauna believes that keeping sea turtles for a long time in containers is a form of exploitation in the name of conservation.

All sea turtle species in Indonesia are protected by Government Regulation no. 7 of 1999, means that any form of trades of these species whether dead or alive, or the separated body parts (including eggs) is considered illegal. According to Law no. 5 of 1990 concerning the conservation of living resources and their ecosystems, defendants  of protected wildlife trade such as sea turtles could be charged with 5 years of incarceration and IDR 100 million of amercement .

For further information, please contact

Swasti Prawidya Mukti (International Affairs Officer of ProFauna Indonesia)

Email : international@profauna.net