By: Sunda Banda Seascape Communication & Campaign Team, WWF-Indonesia

In 2016, there were 161 sea turtles that were successfully thwarted by law enforcement officers in Bali, NTB, and Kendari to be smuggled to Bali. At least eight smuggling cases were thwarted in 2016 compared to the last 16 years.

In response to the rampant activity of sea turtle smuggling and trade in Bali for meat consumption, in November 2016, Ditpolair Polda Bali launched the Free Bali Program (LIBAS) Sea Turtle Smuggling. Since then, Ditpolair Polda Bali has recorded thwarting three smuggling actions.

Efforts to reduce sea turtle smuggling and trade are not easy, especially since the modus operandi of sea turtle trade in Bali continues to change. "Now, turtles can be smuggled in small quantities, even in the form of body parts," said the Director of Bali Police, Kombes Pol Ir. Sukandar, MM.

Threat to sea turtles, ocean travelers

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, sea turtles are categorized as critically endangered. In Indonesia, sea turtles are protected by Law No. 5/1990 on the Conservation of Biological Resources and Ecosystems and Law No. 31/2004 on Fisheries.

To date, sea turtle populations are declining due to two types of threats, namely: (1) direct threats, namely poaching and trade for consumption of eggs and meat, taken for their fragility to be used as souvenirs (in the form of bracelets, rings, glasses frames, and so on); and (2) indirect threats, namely bycatch (bycatch).

"Sea turtles are often bycatch or caught accidentally due to unselective fishing activities. This is because sea turtles are one of the species that are ecologically linked to the target fish caught by fishermen, such as tuna," explained WWF-Indonesia's Hook & Line Catch Officer, Wahyu Teguh Prawira.

"However, these accidentally caught turtles still have a high chance of survival, if handled in accordance with the guidelines for handling bycatch," he added.

To prevent the decline of sea turtle populations, full support from various parties is needed. Not only with law enforcement and fishermen assistance regarding environmentally friendly fishing gear, but also through public awareness campaigns regarding the importance of sea turtle protection in Indonesia.