New gruesome Evidence

On May 31, 1998, the Tanjung Turtle Slaughter Grounds was visited by two uninvited guests posing as prospective buyers, one an interested buyer from Singapore.

.Upon arrival to Jalan Segara Lor (Street),Tanjung, location of the most well known Sea Turtle Holding pens and Slaughter grounds, we were witness to the horrific handling and mass transport of live Turtles, large and small. These thirty or so were supposed to be bound for Balinese customers for " ceremonies" although no official ceremonies were scheduled, this the normal and accepted alibi in Indonesia when dealing with Sea turtles. Many of the Turtles were continually bleeding from their tied fin-holes, from where they are carried hanging from a solid rod.

One particularly large turtle's fins were ripped to the bone, a combination of his body weight and movement due to the pain. This pain was noticeable as he was carried and loaded on a pickup truck helplessly flapping his lower fins. Of the 30 or more Turtles transported at that moment, 15 were years from maturity, and all were visibly scarred from abuse.

It also was evident that there existed no government official nor any members of the WWF turtle preservation office present monitoring the movement and handling of the turtles.

The investigators then met with Pak Hasan, the Maduran trader, owner of the largest holding pens and closely tied to the Maduran connection, a group of well connected traders involved in the exploitation and pillage of beach, reef, and sea life; originally such trade was orchestrated from and by Madurans (Muslims), located by east Java, next to Bali. Hasan admitted that some new boats had arrived and that there exists a continual trade, therefore', with the right connections,' trade to Singapore could be managed. He also admitted that he mainly supplied live turtles to an expanding market place, as Gianjar ( traditionally a non Turtle consuming area), and this despite the high price of Turtle meat! This account absolutely contradicts the figures and messages coming from the WWF Turtle office in Bali. The earnings and division of monetary assets from this trade was not revealed by Hasan, however he did admit that he owned a few of the boats, as well as at least one guest house and one shop. Most of the workers work for the minimum wage with room and board. The wages now, since the Asian monetary crisis amount to 12 US Dollars a month (100,000 Rupiah)! This is also the cost of a 40-50 cm. Green Sea Turtle now!

From Hasan's residence the investigators walked directly into the main Slaughtering area, across the walk way (2 meters from the entrance of his doorway). This area is run by a Pak (Sir) Mentri, a person who is primarily operating the slaughtering house, workers therein, and much of the daily turtle meat distribution to Sate stands throughout southern Bali for consumption as normal food. Sate (Kebab) a grilled form of meat, usually the meat from farm animals such as chicken and pork, not the meat of internationally protected wild animals !

Here the investigators were shocked upon discovering blatant evidence of law breaking, even by Indonesian standards.

Hidden below wooden crates, between two large Green Turtles and the wall, an overturned small Hawksbill Turtle was found gasping for air. This Turtle was hidden due to the quasi Indonesian protection laws it falls under. He was left upside-down without holed-tied fins so as not to damage his shell or body.

Evidence of the days slaughter revealed a stack of 50 to 100 stinking broken shells and body parts.often unusable waste is spilt and disposed of directly there along the coast line in the water at high tide where the live Turtles are kept in Holding pens; those can taste their own faith as well as any sewage(including paint and chemical washes) as they wait for their turn. This is also the shore line of the popular Nusa Dua Resorts directly south.

A stack of undamaged shells were neatly placed, evidently for sale as ornamental jewelry and such.

The investigators then proceeded to the beach behind the slaughter house to find between 4-500 battered and suffering sea turtles in Mr. Hasan's Holding pens. One couldn't avoid noticing all the sewage and garbage sharing the beach and rising tide with the turtles. Mr. Hasan impatience grew as the observers continued to document their observations with photos and videos. He eventually instructed his workers not to divulge any further information. In the pens, many turtles (especially large ones) had been crushed, their bottom shells protruding into their inner-organs. a result of over stacking the turtles upon one another during the hauling and transporting, these turtles were near death. It is estimated that at least 20% of turtles transported here arrive dead (or near death) resulting from suffocation, injuries, exhaustion, starvation, and a combination of all forms of abuse.

Eventually the investigators left Hasan's pens and continued along the beach where Mr. Mohammed Dahar, of South Sulawesi, the third biggest turtle dealer in Tangung, was removing turtles from his pens for transport to clients.
Mr. Dahar was very friendly and open about the lucrative trade, admitting his pure business interests. Business was so good that he held less than 50 turtles at that time. He was also preparing to sell a few live turtles to good clients that night, we suspect, Restaurants, another avenue for the lucrative Sea Turtle trade.

At the end of the visit the investigators decided to purchase a young, energetic Green Sea Turtle who was desperately trying to free his tied fins. The Turtle was symbolically freed from the beach head of the well known Oberoy Temple, a gesture of discontent with the official reasoning for Indonesia's non-compliance for international protection laws and agreements. The investigators decided by pursue the religious aspects next, hoping to clarify these contradictions toward gods sacred creatures and also to investigate its legitimacy in view of current laws.