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PHDI Bali Supports Turtle Preservation
The
Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali,
the highest council of Hindu devotees, has
issued a recommendation on the use of endangered
animal species, especially marine turtles
in cultural religious activities. This recommendation
was declared at a meeting involving 29 Brahmanic
holy priests (sulinggih) from Bali and Lombok,
NGOs and Hindu figures in the Meeting Hall
of Bali Province’s National Education
Office on Saturday (15/1).
 At
the meeting a decision was taken that turtles
used for ingredients for ritual activities
may not exceed 40 cm and the permit proposal
should be processed by a Yojamana (ritual
coordinator) to the Natural Resources Conservation
Agency (BKSDA) Bali by attaching three recommendations,
namely a Brahmanic holy priest that will
lead the ritual, PHDI Bali and customary
village assemblies.
Turtles of this size should be obtained
from turtle breeding farms that are beginning
to be developed in a number of places in
Bali, like Serangan Island. It also recommended
the provision process for ritual needs in
order that it is not to be performed by
personal or private companies avoiding the
opportunity of divergence in obtaining turtles
through formal mechanisms.
Made Artha, the Chairman of PHDI Bali, added
that the status of turtles is protected
under Law of the Republic of Indonesia No.
5/1990 and Governmental Regulation No.7/1999
and turtle protection is internationally
endorsed on the status of Convention on
International Trade on Endangered Species
(CITES), namely on Appendix I since 2001.
The prohibition includes hunting, trading,
degradation and habitat loss. “By this
recommendation, we invite along all Hindu
devotees to actively participate in this
preservation of marine turtles. It is one
of our realizations of devotional service
to the Supreme God,” he said.
It was also added that the Bali Governor,
Drs. Dewa Made Beratha, apart from withdrawing
the quota of turtle trading at 5,000 per
annum, also releasing turtle hatchling at
a number of beaches that have become habitats
for turtles. This hatchling release has
been performed, at least, six times with
25-50 hatchlings for one scatter.
Previously, the Deputy Chairman of Central
PHDI, I Ketut Wiana firmly stated that Hindu
devotees should come to be leading counsels
in the endeavor to conserve turtles an endangered
species of animal in which its population
is proceeding towards extinction. “Do
not argue that turtle slaughter has several
reasons for justification,” he affirmed.
Coordinator of Fauna Indonesia Bali Branch,
I Wayan Wiradnyana frequently campaigns
on the stoppage of the catching of primeval
animals and trading, also he has suggested
along with the local community and foreign
tourists not to purchase turtle or processed
products of turtle slaughter. He exemplified
that the turtle trade in Bali, chiefly at
Benoa Peninsula, based on records was 3,000
that were traded illegally for the period
January-September 2004. “During the
last three years (2001-2003), the police
seized thousands of turtles that were traded
in Bali,” said Wiradnyana.
A Brahmanic holy priest, Ida Pedanda Gede
Bang Buruan Manuaba, furiously expounded
that performing yajna (holy sacrifice) by
not using marine turtles was not an impossible
thing to carry out. Then, Ida Pedanda Gede
Nyoman Sebali Keniten reminded Hindu devotees
not let some groups of people disgrace the
image of religion for ritual reasons to
trade turtles in large scales.
Executive Director of the World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF) Indonesia, Mubariq Ahmad
pointed out that turtle catches in several
waters of Indonesia emptied into Bali, so
it exceedingly influenced the decrease of
turtle populations. Turtles claimed to be
world property, having very long cruise
ranges in waters from one country to another
are being traded and butchered in Bali.
“This government’s policy, decree
of the Bali Governor that limits the cutting
up of turtles, and recommendation of the
PHDI are gradually expected to reduce turtle
slaughter ,” he said. (BTN/015)
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