Sorong, Ekuatorial – Papua’s endangered green turtle is getting more protection as local people will implement legal sanctions to illegal poachers, said a local activist on Friday (28/11), in Papua.
Ferdil Ballamu, chief of Papua Turtle Foundation, said green turtle, Chelonia Mydas, was considered as local dish of Piai island, Raja Ampat district of Papua, especially for its meat, carapace (top shell), and plastron (bottom shell). Uncontrolled hunting of green turtles have forced the species in the brink of extinction. Green turtle is listed as endangered species according to International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN.
“Green turtle is considered as favorite menu for locals, especially for celebrations. In one event, they would need or take around 60 green turtles,” said Ballamu. Based on Papua Turtle Foundation data in 2006-07, there were 100 carapaces of green turtle found from hunting, marking the highest record in the island.
If illegal hunting went on, Ballamu said that green turtle would be definitely extinct from the island. As a result, Ballamu and his foundation launched series of socialization, monitoring, and patrolling around the area to reduce illegal hunting. The campaign is successful as local tribes will be giving out instructions to punish those hunting green turtle in island, in December.
Meanwhile, Ferawati Runtuboi, a marine science lecturer of State University of Papua, said that green turtle population in Piai island must be protected as its existence would harm humans as much as environment.
Runtuboi said that Piai’s green turtle population, counted by its nests, ranged from 1,312 nests as the lowest to 1,625 nests as the highest from 2007 to 2012.
Piai’s green turtle population, she added, was much better compare to other locations, such as Turtle Bay Beach of Cilacap in Central Java, Puger Beach of Banyuwangi in East Java, Pangandaran Beach in West Java, Pelabuhan Ratu Beach in West Java, Pangumbahan Beach in Sukabumi, West Java and Samas Beach of Yogyakarta. Green turtle of Piai island has more resistance if there is sufficient monitoring. IGG Maha Adi, Niken Proboretno