"SEA TURTLE BALI" CAMPAIGN 2007 / 2008
We
launched our first BALI SEA TURTLE campaign in 2001, with perfect timing: the
change of government in Indonesia, the election of a new governor in Bali
and our contacts with the Indonesian environmental organization PROFAUNA, an
active and strong local partner, all served to facilitate the operation. The
magazine “TAUCHEN”, mouthpiece of the diving world, was from the beginning,
another committed partner.
Brochures
and articles on the slaughtering of 25’000 sea turtles (average number of
animals killed yearly in Bali alone!) helped sensitize divers and
animal-loving people throughout Europe about the massacres. Our objective
was to get letters of protest and statements as well as to have petitions
signed. Sponsored trips made it possible for us to become locally active
working not only from behind our desks. Thanks to the donations of “TAUCHEN”-readers
and PADI-members, PROFAUNA-activists were able to achieve, together with
local police, more than 20 operations against poachers and dealers and free
more than 5’000 sea turtles. Demonstrations, a “turtle week” and press
conference in the capital of Bali were organized to inform the local
population. Various talks with government officials and - last but not least
- the handing over of the petition (80 kg of paper!), made it clear: People
all over Europe condemned the killing of sea turtles in Bali, which was also
a great disadvantage to the island’s image and tourism.
Our efforts
as well as the timing, turned out to be worthwhile, for the situation in
Bali changed slowly but surely: All of a sudden, police raids and the
confiscation of sea turtle products became daily business, hunting boats
were chained and their crews put in jail for years. The PROFAUNA activists
obtained freedom of action and government support.
The
following was reported to us ten months later by our intermediate in Bali,
Heinz von Holzen, lone fighter as well as owner of the famous BUMBU-BALI
restaurants:
“ … the cages and slaughter houses in Tanjung Benoa are all empty. Sea turtles are no longer officially traded. Of course it is still possible to buy turtles on the black market (although with difficulty). But all together one can say that the number of slaughtered animals has decreased by 90 percent!!!
These facts
were confirmed by PROFAUNA, observing the sea turtle situation argus-eyed,
too.
Despite the fact that the signs looked better than ever, it was too early to
praise the day: The mafia in Bali, earning millions from the turtle trade,
were not giving up so easily. Only a year later, the turtle traffic was once
again flourishing despite repeated police raids and the situation has
recently re-escalated.
For these reasons and due to PROFAUNA’S cry
for help we are now launching another campaign. There is no way for us to
close the eyes and
allow the brutal slaughter of Bali’s sea turtles to increase again!
Threatened with extinction, it is of even
greater importance to preserve the life of every single sea turtle!!
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