But nobody could have guessed that the events in the run-up to the week were nearly as exciting as the week itself ! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                                          
 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kuta Beach Demonstration
The backdrop was like the set of a TV commercial. White sand, blue sea, and in the foreground, dressed in white, the PROFAUNA activists holding their banner. Rigid expressions, motionless and a straight faced – picketing for the endangered sea turtles.
Young women with the same look distributed leaflets amongst inhabitants and tourists alike here on the most famous of the Bali beaches.
PROFAUNA demonstrations always cause a big stir in the media. This occasion was no different. Cameras flashed, TV cameras filmed, and even an German ARD cameraman used the opportunity to build the demonstration into a production he was already filming. Naturally the place was also teeming with uniforms: the Chief of Police, the Forestry Department and other officials were omnipresent.
In Indonesia demonstrations and information campaigns are closely watched and taken very seriously. PROFAUNA builds on this, for it is the only way in this country to get a strong grip animal and species protection. This is why the organisation also works closely alongside schools and universities. PROFAUNA is however not only concerned with the protection of sea turtles, but with all endangered species throughout Indonesia. www.profauna.or.id / www.profauna.org
 

      
     
     
        
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A phone call is all it takes!
Wayan Wiradnayana, the director of the Pro-fauna office on Bali received a call from an Austrian tourist in the early hours of the morning. Whilst walking on Sanur beach, the man had witnessed two large turtles being loaded into a boat and hidden in a nearby hut. What happened next sounds unbelievable, but is true. Thanks to www.sos-seaturtles.ch and media publications, the man was fully informed of the plight of the sea turtle on Bali and the name PROFAUNA had stuck in his mind. The owner of a nearby restaurant helped him look up the correct telephone numbers and Wayan wasted no time in informing the Chief of Police, the Forestry Department and the Bali Marine Police. Time was of the essence because there was a strong possibility that the sea turtles might be moved on. Indeed, when the police arrived on site the animals had already disappeared, and unfortunately so had the determined tourist. The Marine Police, not to be deterred in such situations, soon found out where the sea turtles had been taken.
Both ‘green turtles’ were of good size and were measured and tagged by the Forestry Department.
The release took place a little time later as the tide was going out on Kuta Beach. As ever, the events attracted the interest of many residents and tourists, and provided a great opportunity for PROFAUNA to distribute information leaflets on the endangered sea turtles.
 

  
   

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Visiting the Governor
The meeting with the Governor was scheduled for 10am. On our way to the Government buildings we noticed a giant cloud of smoke. Fire engines with flashing lights and sirens blaring headed for the town centre. A large fire had broken out in Denpasar city centre. Therefore it was understandable that the Governor had to be excused from our meeting and that instead we were to meet with a Minister for the Environment, named Ir.Ni Wayan Sudjj. Even knowing the extent of the Governor’s influence, we were not disappointed by the way things turned out. It soon became clear that the Environment Minister was fully informed of the sea turtle plight and spoke perfect English. Our statement was clear: according to Indonesian Law, article 764-98 / April 1997 the killing of sea turtles is forbidden, and trade over the border is seen as a violation of CITES regulations, the international Commission for the protection of endangered species.
This is where image is vital: and there is no clearer language than more than 20,000 letters of protest from all over the world and even more signatures. Hundreds of publications and the world-wide link www.sos-seaturtles.ch has drawn people’s attention to the murder of sea turtles on Bali, and as Bali is currently fighting to keep every tourist it can, such things are taken very seriously.

When we began the first sea turtle campaign shortly after the fall of the Suharto regime just before the year 2000 around 25 thousand creatures were being massacred in the slaughter houses of Tanjung Benoa. Currently around 3 thousand are being killed in secret.
Of course, we referred to this positive outcome, and put across our fervent desire that consistent police action be continued and even increased so that an end is brought to all killings. Once this happens, we can show the more beautiful side of the dream island of Bali in the media, and no more bloody images from Tanjung Benoa.

    
    
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Lion’s Den
The trade in sea turtles in Tanjung Benoa lies in the hands of two men, Pak Tami and Pak Hassan. One man who knows all the goings on is the Swiss-born Heinz von Holzen. He has lived on Bali for the past 12 years and owns the famous Bumbu-Bali Restaurant and Ruma-Bali Village. Understandably his work is more behind the scenes, however he has a number of people working undercover who keep him directly informed on what is happening on the sea turtle scene. Instead of turning up at markets, as they did in the past, sea turtle eggs now come to Heinz’s place, where he incubates them in his many turtle rearing plants and then releases them. Heinz literally buys the freedom of illegally caught turtles, so that they are spared the horrific end of being cut out of their shells alive.

The news that five sea turtles were being kept for a buyer in a hiding place on Pak Kami was brought to him by an informer from Tanjung Benoa. The main priority was to liberate the turtles as soon as possible and also to photograph the proceedings in order to provide material for the media and also proof for the Balinese authorities. How the trader would react to the camera was the least of my worries at that moment. The only thing that gave away our arrival was the BUMBU BALI Restaurant truck that was driven by Pak Madi, Heinz Von Holzen’s specialist for this sort of tricky business. Although quite hardened to these sorts of things, I still did not find it easy to remain cool when confronted with this man who has in his lifetime been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of sea turtles and to haggle with him over their price as if they were bananas or coconuts!

Better to see him in a different light, such as through the viewfinder of my Nikon!  The noise of the camera produced no reaction from him whatsoever, but the same could not be said for his side-kick, a stocky, sly looking man who was evidently Chinese.One word from Pak Madi put him in his place. Evidently he was keen not to bungle the sale over a small disagreement. He encouraged us to follow with exaggerated politeness and after 15 minutes of insane driving we arrived at the shed where the creatures were being kept.
Both concrete basins measured around 5 by 5 metres and were filled with around 40cm of water. Here, our four adult greenturtles were to be found, each one weighing more than 100 kilos, alongside a small and genuine hawksbill turtle.

The transporting and preparation for the release carried out by Heinz’s men is a procedure that has seen many years of practice.Late afternoon, as the tide was going out, the turtles were taken to the Holiday Inn Hotel beach and released back into the sea – a very moving moment! Back to their own surroundings where up until their capture, they had been living for the past 30-40 years! It is highly possible that the turtles could live to double this age….. . http://balifoods.com/news/turtle/index.html http://balifoods.com/bumbu/index1.html

    
    
     
     
     
                                                    

Alibi-Island
This so called ‚turtle island’ is not far off the south coast of Tanjung Benoa. Tourists are herded out there on little boats to gawp and paw at the 30 sea turtles eking out their miserable existence in the dirty waters of the lagoon and a concrete basin. Alongside them are cages containing birds, giant lezares  and a large python with tape wrapped round its mouth, the front part of which, incidentally, is missing, as it was crudely removed along with its fangs. The icing on the cake is that souvenirs made out of turtle shells are being sold there. An exhibition that would take the joy out of the day of any normal person – the few visitors present were nearly exclusively tourists from Asian countries.
 

By researching and closely watching the island, PROFAUNA members and the journalist Daniel Peterlunger could gather clear evidence that ‚turtle island’ was being used as a cover-up for the trade in sea turtles. Through the back doors of the compound we were able to get some pictures creatures stored on a small boat were transferred to a hut lying directly opposite with a water basin. The shells and bones lying in the waste outside were further proof that slaughter was taking place here. The photos taken of these wheelings and dealings are lying on the desk of the Environment Minister as we speak and are being channelled through at all government levels by the PROFAUNA team.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summary
verything that has taken place on Bali since the beginning of our campaign in March 2006 shows very clearly that our ‚public relation’ strategy in the media and on the internet is working. However in order to be at the front line and in order to support the actions of our comrades-in-arms on Bali, we are heavily dependent on sponsorship and donations. In the end, cutting an end to the murder and trade of sea turtles on Bali comes down to who is the most determined to succeed!

        We’re on the way to stop the Turtle Trade.         Help us with  donations !!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________------------------____________________________________________________________________

 SOS-SEATURTLES
Kurt Amsler
" Villa Madeleine"  128 Bd. Pierre Puget     /   83150 BANDOL   /   FRANCE

Phone:  0033 ( 0 ) 494 887946  Mobile:  0033 ( 0 ) 6 853 23 856  E-mail:  info@sos-seaturtles.ch